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COLBURN 

KINGSHIP  OF  MT. 
LASSEN 


>^ 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


THE  KINGSHIP  OF  MT.  LASSEN 

At  Present  the  Only  Active  Volcano  on  the  Mainland 
of  the  United  States 

In  the  Pa^  California's  Created  Benefa(flor 


By  Mrs.  Frederick  H.  Colburn 

(Frona  Eunice  Wait) 
Author  of  "  Yermah,  the  Dorado  " 


Oh  !  Mighty  force !     Oh  !  cosmic  King  ! 

With  fiery  breath  and  molten  heart, 
By  heaving  brea^  and  vibrant  swing, 

'Twas  thus  thou  rent  a  world  apart. 

F.  E.  \V.  C. 


COPYRIGHTED  BY  FRONA  EUNICE  WAIT  COLBURN 
ALL  RIGHTS  RESERVED 

San  Francisco,  California,  November,  1922 


NEMO  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 

628  MILLS  BUILDING 

SAN  FRANCISCO,  CALIF. 


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IN  GRATITUDE  AND  APPRECIATION  THIS 

LITTLE  BOOK  IS  DEDICATED  TO 

JOSEPHINE  WILSON 


IBM 

^Hcfi^siB^cSSMiMllHH^^Sil^l^^^^^^^^H 

Hi. 

LASSEX  PR.\K,  FROM  ALPINE  GLADE. 


2744S0 


CONTENTS 

Page 

The  Kingship   of   Mt.  Lassen 1 

Lassen,  the  Master  Mountain 2 

Various  Names  of  the  Volcano 4 

How  Ohl   Is   Lassen   Peak? 6 

A    Prineely    Domain -■ 7 

What  the  Master  Mountain  Has  Done  for  California 8 

An    Unsolved    Miner's   Riddle H 

Ancient   and   Modern   River   Courses H 

Mt.  Lassen  and  Its  Satellites 14 

Present  Wonders  of  Mt.  Lassen  District 1& 

Geysers   and   Hot   Springs 18 

Virtiin    Forests   • 18 

Lava   Caves  and  Caverns 18 

An  HI  Dorado  Legend 19 

The  Real    Gold   Lake 20 

A    Hunter's    Paradise 22 

"The  Long.  High  Mountain  That  was  Broken" 24 

Animal  and  Human  Life  of  the  Olden  Time 26 

Early   Indian   Records 27 

How  to   See  Mt.  Lassen 2^ 

The  Active  Volcano 30 

A    Safe  Volcano 34 

Human  Interest  Features 35 

Farmers  and   Miners  War 38 

.A|)proaches  to  Lassen  Peak 39 

Roadways  and  Trails 40 

The  Manzanita  Portal 43i 

The  Feather  River  Approach 43 

Life  of  Peter  Lassen,  a  Pioneer  of  1841 ;  the  Cecil  Rhodes  of  Upper  California..  45 

The  Lassen  Trail   of  Today 54 

Flying  Over  Mt.  Lassen 55 

Lassen  Volcanic  National  Park 56 

American  Gang  Lore 58 

Paul  Runyan  and  Lassen  Peak  Eruption 60 

An  Imagiiuiry  Overilow  of  Lassen  Peak  Ten  Thousand  Years  Ago 61 

A    Made-to-Order   Town 64 

Hon.  John  E.  Raker,  Congressman  Second  District,  California   (Passage  of 

the  Raker  Rill,  H.  R.  348,  Created  Lassen  National  Park  in  1916) 65 

Preliminary  Report  of  George  E.  Goodwin,  Chief  Civil  Engineer,  National 

Park  Service  66 

To  Mt.  Lassen 68 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Page 
Vulcan's  Head,  Smoke  Formation,  Las.sen   Peak Frontispiece 

n.  K.  Stlnson  Plioto,  nM4. 
Lassen  Peak,  from  the  North;  .Manzanita  Lake  in  Foreground 5 

M.  E.  Dillmar  Photo. 
Lassen  Peak,  Full  Force  Eruption,  May  '2'2,  191.');  From  Forty  Miles  .\way 9 

R.  E.  Stinson  l^hoto. 
Huge  Caulillower-shaped  Eruption,  May  22,  1915;  From  Anderson 13 

Loomis  &  Myers  Photo. 
Devastated  Area,  May  22,  1915 16 

M.  E.  Ditlmar  Photo. 


ILLUSTRATIONS  (Continued) 

Page 

Lassen  Peak,  After  the  Great  Eruption,  May  22,  1915;  Northeast .  17 

B.  F.  Loomis  Photo. 

Lassen  Peak,  in  Characteristic-  Kriii)tion,  West  Side,  1914 21 

R.  E.  Stinson  Photo. 

United  States  Forest  Service  Lookout  House,  September  29,  1914;  Evening    .  23 

United  States  Forest  Service  Lookout  House,  September  30,  1914;  Morning.   .  23 

Active  Crater,  Lassen   Peak,   Alter  First  Eruption,   1914 25 

B.  F.  Loomis  Photo. 
15roke-off  Mountain,  Oldest  Crater  of  Mt.  Lassen 28 

H.  S.  La\\1oii  Photo. 
Pit   River   Falls 28 

Pacific  Gas  &  Electric  Company  Photo. 
Burney  Falls,  125  Feet  High 29 

Pacific  Gas  &  Electric  Company  Photo. 
Hat  Creek  Falls 29 

Pacific  Gas  &  Electric  Company  Photo. 
Devil's  Kitchen,  Near  Drakesbad,  South  Base,  Lassen  Peak 31 

P.  J.  Thompson  Photo. 

First  Showing  of  Smoke,  Lassen  Peak,  May  30,  1914 33 

The  Final  Eruption  of  May  22,  1915 33 

General  View,  Boiling  Lake 36 

M.  E.  Dittmar  Plioto. 
A  Sputtering  Mud  Pot,  Near  Boiling  Lake 36 

H.  S.  La-wton  Photo. 
Snow  on  the  Little  Styx,  Devil's  Kitchen 37 

M.  E.  Dittmar  Photo. 
Hot  and  Cold  Water;  Devil's  Kitchen 38 

H.  S.  Lawton  Photo. 
Corner  of  Boiling  Lake 38 

H.  S.  Lawton  Photo. 
Inside  Crater,  Cinder  Cone;   Basaltic  Glass  Formation 39 

M.  E.  Dittmar  Photo. 
Cinder  Cone;  An  Ash  Heap  6,400  Feet  High 39 

M.  E.  Dittmar  Photo. 

The  Lava   Flows   from    Cinder   Cone 41 

Lake  Enchantment,  with  Terrace  of  Cinder  Cone  Lavas  on  Left 41 

Peter  Lassen  44 

Grave  and  Old  Monument,  Peter  Lassen,  Near  Susanville 47 

P.  J.  Tliompson  Photo. 
Monument  Erected  by  N.  C.  C.  .\.,  Peter  Lassen  Grave,  September  20,  1917...     49 
Southeast   Summit,  Lassen  Peak 55 

H.  S.  La^^ion  Plioto. 
Rough  Country,  Lassen  Volcanic  National  Park 56 

Section  thirteen.  Air  Service,  United  States  .-^rmy  Photo. 
A  Typical  Ice  Cavern;    Foothills,  Las-sen   Peak 57 

M.  E.  Dittmar  Photo. 

Paul  Bunyan,  Droll  Fellow  with  Rougish  Eye,  Who  Makes  Play  Out  of  Work     59 

.\  Well-formed  Bread  Crust  Bomb (J3 

H.  E.  Lawton  Photo. 
Ashes  in  Foreground;   Lassen  Peak   South 65 

H.  S.  Lawton  Photo. 
After  a  Hail  Storm  of  Hot  Rocks  and  Cinders    66 

M.  E.  Dittmar  I>hoto. 

Lassen  Peak,  Looking   Southost  from   Manzanita   Creek (i7 

M.  E.  Dittmar  Photo. 

California  Alpine  Club  Monununt;  Lassen  Peak  Sununit,  North  liS 

H.  S.  Lawton  Photo. 

Lassen  Volcanic  National  Park,  Showing  Proposed  Scenic  Boulevard tii) 


Lassen  group  is  a  brotherhood  of  mountains  (orming  a  temple 
of  the  winds.  The  place  of  their  resort  is  a  royal  court  where 
this  conclave  of  imperial  heights  receives  embassies  from  the 
four  elements,  and  homage  from  the  sun,  moon  and  stars. 

Rev.  J.  H.  C.  Bonte. 


FOREWORD 

|HE  .tfcoloi^y  of  Calirornia  rciids  like  ;i  Hidcr  Ihi^^iird  rcjniance. 
SficntiCic  niiiuls  iind  Ihenisclves  ol)Iii,'e(l  to  use  sui^crlatives 
(o  convey  an  ;ide(iuatc'  nR'aiiini^  in  any  line  of  (liscover\-.  But 
lor  all  tliat,  tlie  avera.^e  person  knows  nothing  about  the 
,_  ^  ^,,  puzzling  distributions  of  minerals,  the  creation  of  our  superb 
■^^^  II  watersheds,  our  priceless  timber  stands,  the  enrichment  of 
valleys,  or  the  out])ourings  of  cements  and  clays  which  are  largely  due 
to  the  volcanic  activities  of  Mt.  Lassen  and  its  associated  craters. 

Many  have  climbed  Vesuvius,  and  have  peered  into  the  molten  lava 
crater  of  Kilauea  but  have  never  seen  Lassen  Peak.  This  fact  is  neither 
creditable  nor  profitable.  Mr.  A.  B.  C.  Dohrmann  has  aptly  said  that 
Northern  California  has  mountain  ranges  which  in  the  possession  of  any 
coimtry  in  Europe  would  be  made  to  support  the  entire  population.  Not 
only  is  this  statement  true,  but  the  inunediate  vicinity  of  Mt.  Lassen  is 
the  greatest  scenic  asset  of  the  entire  state. 

A  visit  to  the  locality  can  be  made  with  safety  and  ease.  There  an 
intimate  close-up  may  be  had  of  how  the  universe  was  created.  The 
distance  from  San  Francisco  is  about  two  hundred  and  ten  miles  in  a 
northeasterly  direction. 

In  writing  of  Lassen's  wonders  I  have  purposely  avoided  using 
technical  terms,  and  have  drawn  freely  upon  the  records  of  experts  in 
special  lines.  To  the  State  Mining  Bureau,  United  States  Forest  Service 
Commission,  Official  Army  Reports,  Lassen  Peak  Portfolio,  Veather 
Bureau  data  and  Lassen  Volcanic  National  Park  Association  field  notes, 
am  I  much  indebted.  The  observations  of  specialists  in  irrigation  and 
power  sites  confirm  much  first-hand  information  obtained  by  my  visits 
to  various  points  in  the  volcanic  area. 

The  photographs  used  in  illustrations  were  secured  fioiii  II.  S.  Law- 
ton,  official  photographer  Western  i^icific  Railroad,  tlie  I-'ifleentli  Aerial 
Photographic  Section,  L'nitetl  Slates  Army,  for  airplane  snapshots,  from 
M.  E.  Dittmar,  Secretary-Manager,  Lassen  Volcanic  National  Park  Asso- 
ciation, R.  E.  Stinson,  G.  E.  Milford  of  the  Pacific  Gas  and  Electric 
Company,  Chester  Mullen  and  B.  F.  Loomis. 

Although  my  work  is  confined  to  the  limits  of  (lalifornia  I  am  not 
unminduful  of  the  great  changes  wrought  in  Oregon  anil  Nevada  by  the 
volcanic  disturbances  centering  in  the  original  luountain.  Much  of  the 
lava  found  in  the  Cascade  and  Sierra  Nevada  Ranges  was  erupted  by 
local  peaks  and  craters,  but  all  responded  to  the  fiery  impulse  of  Lassen 
— the  beneficent.  I  have  treated  the  Lassen  volcanic  area  as  a  whole 
in  order  that  the  reader  may  have  a  comprehensive  background  in 
which  to  visualize  the  glories  of  peak  and  mountain. 

Instead  of  having  the  last  word  it  is  my  privilege  to  speak  the  first. 
Those  who  write  after  me  will  find  a  blazed  trail  only.  Mine  has  been  a 
lonesome  (juest  since  there  is  no  other  layman's  work  for  me  to  dispute 
or  (juestion. 

^h\s.  Fhi:i)i:hi(.k  11.  ("olhi  nx. 

November,  li)22. 


VULCAN'S  HEAD,  SMOKE  FORMATION,  LASSEN  PEAK. 


COIUU-.CTIOXS 

On  page  8  the  illiistratiiiii  used  is  Irdin  ;i  pliotogrnpli  of  :i  copy- 
rif^lited   photograpli    1)\    H.    1^.    Stiiisoii. 

The  eruption  which  caused  the  devaslation  shown  on  page  Hi 
occuiTdl  on  tlie  evcnin}^  ol'  May  111,  lill,'),  when  a  f^l'eal  Hood  of  mud 
and  water  rushed  down  Lost  and  Hal  Creeks  and  washed  away  four 
ranches.    The   photograph   was    made   by    Mr.    I?.   1".    I.ooniis. 

Both   photographs    on    page   21!    were    made    1)\     Mr.    15.    1'.    I.oomis. 

Tile  pliotograpli  at  the  top  ol'  page  'A'A  was  made  l)y  Mr.  M.  1''. 
Loomis  on  Ma.\-  122,  lill.'),  a  lew  hours  preceding  the  gi'eat  eriiiition 
of  that  day.  ()nl\  a  portion  ol'  the  original  photograph  is  shown. 
11  has  been  cut  in  half  and  Ihe  copyright  maik  omitted.  The  illus- 
tration at  the  bottom  of  iiage  :i.'i  is  from  Number  2  of  the  lanious 
continuity  series  ol'  live  pholograplis  ma<le  by  Mr.  H.  I'".  Loomis  on 
.June  1  I,  lill  I.  This  photograph  li.is  also  been  cut  and  the  copy- 
right mark  omitted.  The  author  and  publisher  disclaim  any  responsi- 
bilit>    for   the  condition  of   the   photographs  as   reproduced. 

The  photograph  use<|  on  page  57  was  made  by  Mr.  H.  I-".  Loomis. 
It  shows  a  flashlight  view  of  one  of  several  caves  or  lava  tubes  in 
the  Devil's  Half  Acre  on  Hat  Creek. 

On  page  66  is  shown  another  ])ho|ograph  madi'  l)\  Mr.  15.  F. 
Loomis  on  October  20,  191  1. 

On  page  50  the  fourth  paragraph  should  begin:  "Alter  Peter  Las- 
sen lost  his  great  ranch  its  name  was  changed  and  a  portion  of  il 
was  planted  to  the  largest  vineyai'd  in  Ihe  world,"  etc. 

It  is  a  yellow  pine  tree  that  stands  at  the  head  of  I'cter  Lassen's 
grave.  It  is  said  to  be  Ihe  largesl  yellow  pine  tree  in  Northein 
California. 

On  page  57   the  name   II.   L.   (  omad    should    be   .\.    L.   Conard. 


The  Kingship  of  Mt.  Lassen 


'm^^M^^^'^'BX^ijMm^^^^^i: 


Aloof,  unshadowed,  close  to  God  it  stands. 
And  works  the  wonders  of  the  Master's  will, 
Triumphant  in  its  niij^hty  power  to  fill 

The  wasting  places  of  earth's  leveling  lands. 

— Mary  Gordon  Holway. 


ASSEN  is  a  mountain  with  a  past — and  a  bad  cnoiii-li  one  to 
be  interesting,  but  Lassen  Peak  is  only  a  part  of  the  original 
volcano.  Although  wrecked,  broken  and  niucli  rechiced  in 
height,  this  master  mountain  dominates  two  hundred  thousand 
square  miles  of  territory — an  area  almost  as  large  as  Great 
Britain  and  France  combined.  In  the  morning  of  time  there 
stretched  a  semi-circle  of  flaming  mountains  from  Mt.  Baker  to  Mt.  Las- 
sen. These  w^ere  beacon  lights  in  a  vast  volcanic  region  which  includes 
much  of  Northern  California,  Nevada,  Oregon,  ^Yashington,  Idaho  and 
Montana.  One  by  one  these  lights  winked  out,  until  finally  only  Lassen 
Peak  flares  up  occasionally,  and  sputters  feebly,  in  comparison  to  its 
former  titanic  efl"orts.  The  wonders  of  the  Yellowstone  and  the  weird 
depressions  of  Death  Valley  are  in  the  radius,  and  so  are  Santa  (]ata- 
lina  and  other  islands  near  the  coast.  On  a  stupendous  scale  within  this 
magnificent  domain  is  found  every  known  volcanic  phenomenon. 

Mt.  Lassen  occupies  a  key  position.  It  sits  in  the  apex  of  a  colossal 
letter  "Y"  formed  by  the  terminals  of  the  adjoining  mountain  ranges. 
Some  time  in  the  remote  past  the  original  mountain  filled  a  great  depres- 
sion between  the  northern  end  of  the  Sierra  Nevadas,  the  southern  end 
of  the  Klamath  ridge  of  the  Cascades,  and  the  Siskiyou  spur  of  the  Coast 
Range.  Being  volcanic  in  character,  Lassen  erupted  its  own  laterals  and 
literally  joined  itself  to  the  other  elevations.  The  mountain  proper  con- 
sists of  Broke-oir  Mountain,  six  unnamed  pinnacles  and  Lassen  Peak. 
Along  the  base  of  this  huge  serrated  skyline  the  (>ld  crater  walls  are 
clearly  outlined. 

Glacial  action  is  everywhere  in  evi(kMice  on  each  slope  of  this  high 
divide.  Formed  by  the  older  flows  of  lava  which  center  in  Broke-olT 
Mountain  are  terraced  glens  once  filled  with  glacial  ice.  Below  the 
walls  of  lava  are  deeply  scoured  canyons  marked  and  scarified  by  ice 
erosion.  Heat  and  cold — ice  and  molten  lava — have  struggled  for 
supremacy  while  the  old  mountain  labored  and  fought  for  existence. 


Eons  of  time  have  passed  since  Broke-ofF  Mountain  was  tlie  central  vent, 
and  many  isolated  eruptions  have  occurred  in  the  vast  area  dominated 
by  the  master  mountain. 

"While  everything  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  lay  under  an  ice  sheet 
one  mile  in  thickness,  Mt.  Lassen  in  simultaneous  eruption  with  hun- 
dreds of  crater  peaks  in  the  immediate  vicinity  poured  out  the  lavas 
which  cap  the  Sierra  Nevada  and  Cascade  Ranges.  Geologically  con- 
sidered, Northeastern  California  is  an  extension  of  the  Sacramento  Val- 
ley before  the  (]ascade  Range  was  erupted  to  the  north  fork  of  the 
P^atlier  River.  When  this  occurred,  the  gap  between  the  Sierra  Nevada 
Mountains  and  the  Coast  Range  was  closed  by  a  series  of  colossal  lava 
dams.  The  Sierras  are  primarily  of  an  older  granite  uplift  while  the 
Cascades  were  erupted  in  a  more  recent  period  and  are  composed  prin- 
cipally of  lava.  In  the  watershed  area  these  formations  react  upon  each 
other  in  a  curious  manner.  The  lavas  act  as  sponges,  and  absorb  the 
moisture  which  brims  over  or  seeps  through  the  granite  cups  or  con- 
tainers. 

LASSEN  THE  MASTER  MOUNTAIN 

Between  the  two  sentinel  peaks,  Mt.  Lassen  and  Ml.  Shasta,  was 
fashioned  one  of  the  largest  and  most  unique  underground,  natural 
water  storage  plateaus  in  the  world.  This  area  of  live  thousand  square 
miles  in  the  Pit  River  Basin  includes  Fall  River  and  the  mysterious  Ris- 
ing River,  Crystal  Lake  and  Burney  Creek.  The  latter  stream  presents  a 
dry  bed  one-quarter  of  a  mile  above  Burney  Falls,  over  which  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  second-feet  of  water  falls  to  a  depth  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  feet!  The  full  volume  of  water  bursts  out  of  an  apparently 
solid  lava  terrace.  Ten  millions  of  people  could  use  one  hundred  gallons 
of  w'atcr  per  person  daily  from  the  supply  at  the  junction  of  Fall  and 
Pit  Rivers,  and  this  regardless  of  climatic  conditions  or  extra  storage. 
The  Modoc  Lava  Beds  and  the  great  watersheds  of  the  Feather  River 
country  sustain  Northern  California's  claim  to  leadership  in  power  sites 
and  irrigation  possibilities. 

Heix'  where  the  fires  of  licll  burst  forth 

And  the  mountains  rocked  from  south  to  north, 

Here  in  tlie  lieart  of  a  wonderland 

To  the  god  of  I\)\ver  a  temple  is  phmncd. 

— H.  S.  Furlong. 


In  the  uncanny  Lost  River  regions  on  both  sides  of  Lassen  Peak  there 
are  huge  underground  tunnels  cut  by  the  displaced  waters  through  acres 
of  volcanic  matter  and  glacial  ice.  One  spring  in  the  Hat  Creek  country 
perpetually  carries  enough  water  to  supply  New  York  City.  At  least  80 
per  cent  of  the  upper  Sacramento  flow  comes  from  these  hidden 
sources.  Numerous  streams  empty  into  the  Fall  and  Pit  Rivers  above 
the  junction  of  the  Sacramento  while  an  enormous  volume  of  subter- 
ranean waters  find  exit  by  way  of  the  Willamette  and  Columbia  Rivers 
in  Oregon.  These  empty  into  tiie  Pacific  Ocean  at  tjuite  an  opposite 
angle  after  draining  a  watershed  of  vast  potential  power. 

[   2   ] 


The  Northern  Sierras  contaclinfi  Lassen  Peak  on  the  east  presents 
a  titanic  jumble  of  broken  be(h-ock  slates  mixed  witli  a  ho(lge-j)oclge 
of  other  rocks  everywhere  burdened  with  a  heavy  o\er-toi)i)ing  of 
andesitic  lava.  On  the  western  slope  of  this  niucli  disturbed  area  arc 
found  the  sources  of  the  ancient  and  modern  rivers  which  have  washed 
down  the  sands  and  gravels  containing  the  surface  deposits  of  precious 
metals.  Deeper  down  are  the  veins  and  fissures  packed  in  tightly  be- 
tween the  intruding  granites  when  the  earth  rocked  with  the  mighty 
heavings  of  innumerable  craters  responding  to  the  impulse  of  the 
original  volcano. 

On  the  eastern  side  of  the  range  are  tlie  dry  catchment  basins  of  the 
desert  reaching  from  the  Columbia  River  plateau  to  the  Salton  Sea.  In 
the  Great  Basin  lying  between  the  Rockies  and  the  Sierras  and  extending 
from  the  Snake  River  to  the  Colorado  there  is  said  to  be  enough  borax 
to  cleanse  the  entire  earth,  salt  enough  to  preserve  it  and  soda  enough 
to  sweeten  it.  Extinct  Bonneville  and  Lahontan  Lakes  divide  interest 
with  Mono,  Owens  and  Searles  Lakes,  the  latter  three  being  utilized  for 
water  supplies  or  valued  for  potash  or  other  utilitarian  mineral  contents. 

Unmistakable  evidence  indicates  volcanic  origin  for  the  desert  con- 
ditions in  Imperial  Valley,  the  Salton  Sink,  and  the  Mojave  Desert.  Here 
the  flow's  were  basaltic  and  of  intermittent  cliaracter.  First  there  was 
the  torrential  overllow  of  thin,  watery  lava  corresponding  to  the  condi- 
tions found  in  the  ancient  and  modern  river  areas,  across  the  divide, 
and  undoubtedly  traceable  to  the  action  of  Broke-off  Mountain  in  earlier 
times.  A  long  period  of  quiescence  followed  in  each  case.  The  later  ande- 
sitic lavas  topped  the  Sierras  but  did  not  descend  to  the  lowered  desert 
levels.  Today  huge  black  basaltic  buttes  thickh  dot  the  grayish  lime, 
clay,  cement  and  alkali  coverings  of  the  Great  Basin  area.  Instead  of 
gold  and  silver  deposits  the  High  Sierras  are  rich  in  building  materials 
such  as  granite,  brown  and  sand  stone,  various  kinds  of  marbles  beauti- 
fully marked,  and  vast  beds  of  exquisite  onyx.  In  Inyo  and  San  Ber- 
nardino Counties  there  is  said  to  be  suiricient  onyx  and  tine  marble  to 
build  several  large  cities. 

Untold  wealth  is  still  hidden  in  the  fantastic  deposits  of  jjrecious 
metals,  abundantly  scattered  by  long-continued  and  violent  earth  shak- 
ings. In  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Lassen  Peak,  seventy  known  minerals 
abound.  Many  are  of  great  utility  and  value  commercially,  besides  the 
mines  of  gold  and  silver  which  have  already  made  California  rich  ami 
famous. 

The  far-off  approaches  to  this  greatest  wonderland  of  the  .Northwest 
makes  an  irresistible  appeal  to  the  imagination.  Lofty,  snow-capped 
pinnacles  reach  miles  into  the  air  on  the  Cascade  Mountain  outskirts  of 
Lassen  Peak,  while  on  the  eastern  slopes  of  the  Sierras  depressions  far 
below  sea  level  present  a  i)arched  and  desolate  conti-ast.  On  the  one 
hand  is  the  transcendant  beauty  of  countless  frozen  heights  outlined 
by  eternal  verdure.  On  the  olher  hand,  fantastic  and  weird  imagery  of 
heat  waves  tamper  with  the  senses  and  lure  to  mirage  illusion.s  and 
destruction. 

On  the  west  and  north  the  mean  elevations  and  climatic  conditions 
provide  moisture  and  sustenance  for  millions  yet  unborn.    On  the  east 

[   3   ] 


and  south  dcmidi'd  iiiid  dossicated  sjinds  have  hlown  over  and  buried 
tlie  habitations  of  a  lost  race.  Over  it  ail,  written  in  letters  of  fire,  is 
the  magical  impress  of  a  rare  phase  of  creative  energy.  Here  the 
Master  plans  for  a  civilization  higluM-  tiian  all  that  has  gone  before  it. 
Here,  too,  is  the  urge  to  herculean  deeds  of  wortli-wliile  achievement. 
Here  is  the  obligation  to  live  up  to  California's  opportunity  for  supreme 
leadership. 

Connecting  tliis  magic  land  with  the  long  ago  are  the  giant  sequoia 
trees,  ^hmy  in  the  Mariposa  grove  are  known  to  be  thousands  of  years 
old.  These  grand  old  monarchs  not  only  stood  under  the  Star  of  Bethle- 
lieni,  but  were  flourishing  when  the  glories  of  Egypt  departed.  They 
have  been  actual  witnesses  of  much  that  has  happened  in  the  Lassen 
country.  A  seciuoia  blossoms  once  in  four  years,  and  it  requires  another 
four  years  for  the  small,  hard  cone  to  mature.  None  of  the  white  race 
has  witnessed  the  process  of  a  sequoia  seedling  sprouting  from  the 
wind-scattered  seeds  winged  to  earth  and  rooted  by  moisture  and 
sunshine. 

The  redwoods  are  Tertiary  trees,  and  are  said  to  have  composed  the 
first  general  forests  after  plant  life  became  well  established.  At  one 
period  stands  of  redwoods  covered  much  of  Scandinavia  and  parts  of 
Europe  as  well  as  sections  of  the  United  States.  Now  the  only  surviving 
remnants  are  found  in  the  fog  belts  of  Northern  California.  Once  extinct 
it  would  be  hard  to  reforest  them,  as  these  trees  propagate  principally 
by  ofTshoots  from  the  upturned  roots  of  a  fallen  monarch.  For  a  cen- 
tury or  so  the  young  saplings  cling  to  the  rim  of  the  circle  formed  by 
the  mass  of  exposed  roots.  Finally  the  strongest  crowd  out  the  weak- 
lings and  a  group  of  redwoods  still  struggle  for  supremacy  in  the  upper 
air  spaces. 

The  heaviest  and  most  valuable  timber  covers  in  the  United  States 
flourish  among  the  extinct  craters,  or  stand  like  sentinels  to  guard  the 
thin,  light-weight  soils  over-topping  a  stratum  of  lavas  said  to  average 
two  thousand  feet  in  depth.  But  for  the  moisture,  altitude  and  sunlight 
of  the  rugged  surfaces,  the  matchless  redwood  and  other  forests  could 
not  exist. 

VAKIOUS  NAMES  OF  THE  VOLCANO 

The  padres  accompanying  the  Arguello  exploring  expedition  in  1820 
bestowed  the  name  of  St.  Joseph's  Mountain  on  Lassen  Peak.  If  not  the 
first  white  men  to  see  the  peak,  they  w^ere  the  first  to  make  a  record 
and  give  the  eminence  a  name.  Passing  trappers  must  have  seen  it 
during  the  next  twenty  years,  but  it  was  not  until  the  late  forties  that 
American  settlers  called  the  entire  mountain  Lassen  Buttes.  In  writing 
of  the  locality  at  a  later  period,  Professor  Whitney  strongly  objected  to 
the  word  "buttes,"  because  he  declared  the  Fi'ench  used  such  a  designa- 
tion when  referring  to  mere  knolls. 

As  setllemcnt  increased  on  all  sides  the  name  varied.  Older  inhabi- 
tants continued  to  use  the  term  Lassen  Buttes.  Later  by  common  consent 
this  was  changed  to  Mt.  Lassen — the  name  generally  used  throughout 
the  country  at  present.    In  1902,  the  United  States  Government  estab- 

[   4   ] 


lishcd  a  Forest  Service  patrol  throuLjli  tliat  region,  and  after  a  pre- 
liminary survey  issued  a  map,  with  a  text  compiled  by  Dr.  J.  S.  Diller, 
entitled,  "Lassen  Peak  Portfolio."  This  gave  the  peak  an  oflicial  title. 
In  1907,  President  Roosevelt  set  aside  the  peak  and  Cinder  Cone  as 
national  monuments.  On  August  9,  1916,  President  Wilson  signed  the 
bill  which  created  the  Lassen  Volcanic  National  Park — an  area  of 
eighty-one  thousand  acres,  which  includes  the  mountain  and  peak  in  its 
western  extremity. 

The  pronunciation  of  the  name  Lassen  has  been  a  subject  for  con- 
siderable controversy.  Old  settlers  give  the  "a"  the  broad  "-ound  as  in 
"Lawson."  Those  of  Scandinavian  extraction  make  the  word  more  like 
"Larsen,"  while  the  surviving  family  use  the  "a"  as  in  "ah."  It  will 
be  safe  to  follow  the  family  tradition,  which  is  also  the  popular 
pronunciation. 

Lassen  Peak  at  present  has  four  craters,  varying  in  elevation  and 
diameter,  but  not  all  have  been  active  lately.  On  May  30,  1914,  a  new 
vent  was  formed  in  one  of  the  craters  by  a  series  of  explosive  eruptions 
which  have  continued  at  irregular  intervals  since.  The  new  opening  is 
funnel-shaped  and  is  estimated  to  be  one  thousand  feet  in  diameter.  It 
extends  downward  about  eight  hundred  feet  below  the  highest  ridges  of 
the  older  crater  rim.  The  most  violent  eruption  of  the  present  time 
occurred  on  May  22,  1915.  A  column  of  steam  and  volcanic  ash  rose  in 
a  caulillower  shape  to  the  immense  height  of  thirty-six  thousand  feet. 
So  terrific  was  the  force  of  the  explosion  that  a  great  vent  was  torn  in 
the  side  of  the  peak  below  the  active  crater.  The  superheated  mud  and 
scoria  cut  a  wide  path  down  the  western  slope  and  devastated  an  area 
of  several  square  miles  near  Manzanita  Creek. 

HOW  OLD  IS  LASSEN  PEAK? 

Latest  discoveries  raise  tlie  ([uestion  of  the  age  of  Lassen  Peak.  It 
appears  that  this  last  vent  of  the  ancient  pile  was  erupted  in  a  recent 
geological  period — say,  ten  thousand  years  ago!  If  so,  it  was  the  greatest 
outstanding  feature  of  the  last  universal  overflow  of  Mt.  Lassen  and  all  of 
its  satellites.  The  unmutilated  mountain  once  towered  from  three  thou- 
sand to  five  thousand  feet  higher  in  the  air.  Its  head  has  been  blown  oil' 
and  the  lieart  torn  out  and  scattered  hundreds  of  miles  over  the  sur- 
rounding country.  Showers  of  volcanic  bombs  still  lie  as  thick  as  hail 
seventy-live  miles  away,  and  in  many  directions.  These  bear  mute 
testimony  to  the  terrific  activity  which  wrecked  this  giant  mass  and 
left  Lassen  Peak  the  sole  surviving  firebrand  among  the  multitude  of 
extinct  craters. 

As  if  unmindful  of  the  old  volcano's  unruly  conduct  in  the  past, 
Lassen  Ridge  rides  in  rough  fashion  across  the  middle  of  the  letter  "Y" 
in  a  general  northeasterly  and  southwesterly  direction.  This  belt  of 
lava  peaks  averaging  ten  thousand  feet  elevation  and  having  many 
craters  a  mile  in  diameter  extends  from  the  north  fork  of  the  Feather 
River  to  the  big  bend  of  I'it  River,  fifty  miles  away.  Holding  Lassen 
and  the  three  mountain  ranges  in  a  grip  of  eternity  in  the  Lassen  Ridge 

[    0   ] 


are  Butt  Mountain,  Lookcnit,  Magee  and  (j'ater  Peaks.  Burney  Biitfes  an«t 
Hat  Mountain,  l)esi(les  a  nameless  and  uncounted  nest  of  lesser  vents. 

A  puin(;i;lv  domain 

A  bird's-eye  view  iroin  the  top  of  Lassen  Peak  rc\eais  the  jiiajest.v 
of  God's  handiwork,  when  the  planet  was  beinj^  made  ready  for  man's 
uses.  The  peak  itself  is  ten  thousand  four  liundred  and  sixty-five  feet 
high,  Broke-ofl'  Mountain  has  an  elevation  of  ei.yht  tliousand  six  hr.ndred 
feet,  while  the  six  ])innaeles  and  domes  in  between  have  an  average 
elevation  of  nine  thousand  feet.  The  Indians  say  that  Prospect  Peak, 
nine  thousand  two  hundred  feet  high  and  in  the  near  vicinity,  was  once 
a  part  of  the  older  mountain.  If  this  proves  true,  then  Mt.  Lassen 
proper  was  one  of  the  largest  mountains  in  the  world.  Indian  (tral  iiis- 
tory  usually  has  a  foundation  in  facts,  no  matter  how  obscured  by  child- 
like imagery  or  allegory.  It  is  also  well  to  l)ear  in  mind  that  compara- 
tively little  is  known  of  the  actual  developtnent  of  this  st'll  active- 
volcano. 

Completely  encircling  Lassen  Peak  is  an  indescribaljje  nest  of 
unnamed  craters  which  add  much  to  the  impressive  grandeur  of  tliis 
incomparable  region.  They  thickly  dot  the  lan<lscape  for  a  distance  of 
a  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  and  can  be  seen  from  every  direction. 

Only  a  short  distance  north  of  Lassen  Peak  are  the  spectacular  Chaos 
Crags  which  form  an  impressive  skyline  of  a  beautiful  pearl  gray.  This 
chaotic  mass  is  not  many  centuries  old  and  was  erupted  by  Lassen  Peak 
about  the  time  Cinder  Cone  was  thrown  out  by  Prospect  Peak.  Like 
Lassen  Peak  itself,  these  crags  are  comjjosed  of  dacite  lava  piled  in 
successive  layers  high  above  older  volcanic  vents.  They  lise  from 
three  to  four  thcnisand  feet  above  the  old  crater  rim  of  the  original 
mountain,  and  are  more  than  a  mile  wide  and  about  three  miles  long. 
They  are  among  the  unique  features  of  this  locality  and  can  be  seen  for 
hundreds  of  miles  along  the  roadways  of  the  Sacramento  Valley. 
Nestling  close  in  and  under  the  shadow  of  Chaos  Crags  is  I,ake  Heflcc- 
tion — clear  as  crystal  and  smooth  as  glass.  Its  surface  beautifulh  mii- 
rors  the  towering  crags  in  minutest  detail,  and  it  is  a  much  larger  and 
more  pictures(iue  body  of  water  than  the  famous  Minor  Lake  of 
Yosemite  Valley. 

Still  further  to  the  north  the  giants  of  the  ('ascade  Range  ami  the 
rugged  Siskiyous  carry  the  vision  to  far-olf  Oregon.  l)n  the  west  the 
lofty  Salmon  River  Range,  with  its  snow-clad  crests,  rises  hiiih  above 
the  steep  canyons  cut  toward  the  Pacific  Ocean,  dimly  outlined  in  the 
distance.  In  still  another  direction,  the  South  Fork  Mountains  shut  ofl 
the  ocean.  Midway  between  and  fringing  the  narrowed  Sacrn^neiito 
Valley  the  Yolla  Bolly,  the  Bully  Clioop,  rouml-tcHMHMl  and  eternally 
snow-capped,  form  a  silhoiiette  with  the  Prinify  Mountains  ajiainst  the 
dark  forests  of  the  hinterland.  To  the  south  and  the  southwest  the 
broad  acres  of  the  Sacramento  Valley,  with  its  vi!>bon-like  river,  fade 
into  a  hazy  distance.  The  meeting  of  the  mountains  at  the  southerly 
base  of  the  peak,  and  the  crest  of  the  Sierras,  carry  the  vista  into  the 
heart   of  California.    Last  and   northeast  the  ragged   hi.qh-colored   lava 

L   7   ] 


)e(ls  slope  toward  I^aylc  Lake  and  Honey  Lake  Valleys.  In  the  intt'r- 
vening  plateaus  many  peaks,  lakes  and  ancient  volcanic  vents  break  the 
evergreen  forest  colorings  and  add  much  to  the  beauty  of  the  surround- 
ing country. 

WIIAI   THK  MASTKB  MOUNTAIN  HAS  DONK  FOR  CALIFOHNIA 

'Ihe  lirst  amazing  fact  to  beat  in  upon  the  senses  is  the  existence  of  a 
titanic  fault  or  uplifted  fold  in  the  earth's  crust,  which  separates  the 
Sierra  Nevada  Range  from  the  Big  Bend.  This  undulating  wall  begins  in 
Long  Valley,  Lassen  County,  and  literally  drops  the  Nevada  country 
downward  from  one  to  three  thousand  feet.  The  fault  is  clearly  defined 
for  three  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  losing  itself  at  Tehachapi  Pass,  after 
an  up-and-down  career  at  Owens  Lake  which  varies  from  four  thousand 
to  eleven  thousand  feet  elevation  in  a  short  distance. 

The  next  surprising  discovery  is  that  there  is  a  sharp  tilt  in  the 
ground  surfaces  in  a  general  northern  direction.  The  very  steep  dip  to 
tile  northeast  of  the  highly  tilted  slates  forming  the  bedrock  running 
parallel  with  the  axis  of  the  Sierra  Nevadas  accounts  for  the  excessive 
How  of  lavas  toward  the  Columbia  River  plateau. 

The  Sacramento  Valley  and  the  Coast  Range  are  almost  bare  of  lava, 
while  the  Cascade  Mountains — a  continuation  of  the  Coast  Range — are 
heavily  capped  with  volcanic  matter.  The  Sierras,  running  at  a  sharp 
angle  to  the  Cascades,  carry  thousands  of  feet  of  thick,  viscous  deposit, 
(leologists  say  that  between  the  Tertiary  period  and  the  Quartennary, 
which  comes  dow'n  to  the  present  time,  the  lavas  were  erupted  in  the 
great  northwestern  area. 

Turning  toward  Broke-ofT  Mountain,  the  lowest  of  xMt.  Lassen's  peaks, 
one  sees  that  here  was  where  the  first  eruption  of  magnitude  took  place. 
It  was  from  this  center  that  the  thin,  fluid-like  mass  was  sent  in  a  deluge 
over  almost  the  entire  volcanic  region.  It  is  found  on  the  Columbia 
River  and  along  the  course  of  the  Des  Clmtes  and  Snake  Rivers.  In 
California  it  turned  the  ancient  rivers  out  of  their  original  channels  and 
left  for  the  miner  the  untold  riches  of  the  auriferous  gravel  beds  that 
have  been  and  are  being  mined  with  varying  degrees  of  profit.  This 
basaltic,  watery  overflow  cooled  and  hardened  into  the  cement-like 
covering  which  securely  sealed  the  golden  sands  and  gravel  for  ages. 

Was  it  this  flood  of  boiling  fluid  which  caused  the  Pit  River  Indians 
to  designate  Lassen  Peak  "Kome  Yermani" — the  water  mountain? 
Underneath  the  present  top  soil  will  be  found  ample  evidence  of  how 
this  overflow  passed  the  Klamath  Mountains  and  spread  far  and  wide 
over  the  surrounding  country. 

The  next  awe-inspiring  thought  is  that  the  upheavals  of  Lassen  and 
its  contemporary  volcanoes  have  given  Northern  California  its  splendid 
river  courses — ancient  and  modern — while  dooming  the  southern  coun- 
ties to  desert  and  drouth  conditions.  The  high  scarp  wall  of  the  great 
fault  took  up  the  slack  in  the  earth's  crust  and  left  the  depressions  of 
Death  Valley,  of  the  Salton  Sea  and  of  Imperial  Valley.  On  the  Cali- 
fornia side  is  the  Mojave  Desert,  while  over  in  Nevada  is  Tonopah,  bare 
of  verdure,  scant  of  moisture,  but  heavily  laden  with  precious  metals. 

[   8   ] 


Another  miracle  wrought  hy  the  volcanic  activity  of  which  Mt.  Las- 
sen was  the  center  was  the  great  lissure  known  as  the  Mother  Lode,  con- 
tinuous and  well  defined  for  more  than  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles. 
The  high  scarp  wall  of  the  great  fault  is  on  the  crest  of  the  Sierras;  the 
Motiier  Lode  fissure  is  in  the  foothills  hut  follows  the  same  general 
trend.  Not  only  did  the  earth's  crust  fold  hut  it  also  cracked  under  the 
terrific  pressure  of  sui)tcrranean  forces. 

From  the  top  of  Lassen  Peak  several  fault  cliffs  can  be  seen  about 
the  head  waters  of  Hutte  Creek  and  on  the  road  between  Big  and  Moun- 
tain Meadows.  An  untrained  eye  will  have  no  difliculty  in  tracing  tlie 
lava  uplifted  ridges  radiating  in  a  fan  shape  with  Mono  Lake  as  a  center 
and  terminating  near  Quincy,  in  Plumas  County.  This  system  of  faults 
is  like  huge  waves  of  solid  rock  shaken  apart  and  scattered  broadcast 
in  a  hopeless  and  wliolly  indescribable  tangle. 

Long-continued  earth((uakc  produces  the  most  freakish  results  im- 
aginable. All  laws  of  normal  continent-building  seem  to  be  igored  or 
defied  in  the  i)iliiig  uj)  and  mixing  of  the  country  rock.  Only  the  granite 
masses  have  been  able  to  withstand  the  violent  oscillations.  Solid  beds 
of  slate  have  been  heated  and  blown  up  into  giant  bubbles.  Then  they 
were  shattered  into  bits,  which  were  set  on  end  like  jagged  teeth  on 
innumerable  steep  declivities  in  Mt.  Lassen's  strange  laboratory. 

A  notable  example  of  broken  slates  is  found  in  the  Merced  Canyon, 
between  El  Portal  and  Yosemite  Valley,  while  The  Devil's  Post  Pile  in 
the  Minarettes  of  Madeia  County  bears  testimony  to  the  power  of  vol- 
canic energy  when  opi)osed  b>  an  immovable  mass  of  granite. 

The  wizardry  of  the  mountain  in  concealing  gold  nuggets  in  tiie 
auriferous  gravels  is  matched  b\  the  cunning  with  which  the  grains  of 
gold  have  been  vaporized  and  cooled  in  the  quartz  veins.  Cracks  and 
crevices  are  filled  with  Hour  of  gold  which  has  sifted  in.  The  extraor- 
dinary methods  of  California's  mineral  deposits  are  only  possible  where 
there  is  intense  internal  Jieat  and  protracted  volcanic  action. 

Long  continued  oscillation  caused  tiie  formation  of  the  famous 
ribbon  rock  which  contains  the  richest  gold  veins.  This  beautiful  rock 
is  characteristic  of  the  Mother  Lode  and  of  many  lesser  and  isolated 
gold-bearing  fissures  extending  from  below  Mariposa  County  to  the  base 
of  Mt.  Lassen.  This  treasure  trove  is  two  hundred  and  fifty  miles  long 
and  from  twenty  to  seventy  miles  wide.  In  this  section  has  been  pro- 
duced two-thirds  of  California's  mineral  wealth.  Here  a  criss-cross  net- 
work of  ancient  river  channels,  heavy  with  aui-iferous  gravels,  precious 
nuggets  and  sands  dispute  honors  with  the  lissure  veins.  The  formation 
of  the  Mother  Lode  was  the  last  event  in  the  rock  history  of  the  Sierra 
Xevadas,  and  is  of  recent  period,  geologically. 

On  the  ojjpositc  side  of  the  great  scarp  wail  are  the  immensely  rich 
mineral  deposits  of  Nevada.  The  famous  (]omstock  Lode,  with  its  wealth 
of  silver  ores,  disi)utes  honors  with  the  gold  fields  on  the  western  slopes 
of  the  Sierras  and  both  are  closely  connected  witli  tlie  beneficent  results 
of  volcanic  action. 

[   10   ] 


AX  I  xsoi.vi:!)  m;xi:i!  s  hiddi.i; 

The  mysterious  so-cjtlled  "blue  lead  ciiannel"  of  the  I'cjrest  Hill 
Divide,  in  Placer  County,  has  lon.i^  been  a  puzzle  to  the  mining'  geoioj-ist. 
It  pre-supposed  the  existence  of  a  niif^hly,  ancient  river  llowin;,'  from 
the  northeast  to  the  southwest,  parallel  to  the  crest  oi  the  Sierras,  'i  he 
name  was  derived  from  the  bluish  color  of  the  very  rich  gravel  filling' 
the  river  channel.  A  tormenting  feature  was  the  irregular  and  bafllinj^ 
course  of  the  alleged  stream.  It  seemed  to  spread  far  and  wide,  and  to 
disappear  frequently,  making  for  a  spotty  condition  in  various  mineral- 
ized sections.  In  some  i)laces  the  streak  of  blue  gravel  was  covered  by 
a  deposit  of  cement  eighty  feet  deep.  It  almost  invariably  lay  on  bed- 
rock, showing  that  it  belonged  to  the  torrential  overllow  of  the  old 
original  volcano  with  Broke-olf  Mountain  as  its  center. 

Tiie  first  scientific  mining  men  accepted  the  ancient  rivei'  theory  as 
to  the  origin  of  the  blue  lead.  Then  came  a  school  of  geologists  who 
denied  the  possibility  of  any  one  body  of  water  presenting  the  phe- 
nomena fomid  in  the  blue  lead  district.  They  said  it  was  too  varietl 
and  too  widely  distributed  to  have  a  common  source.  Now  comes  the 
certainty  that  an  ancient  river  of  wide  dimensions  and  great  length  had 
its  rise  in  Meadow  Lake,  Nevada  County,  and  flowed  along  the  base  of 
the  Northern  Sierras.  Geologists  call  it  the  .Jura  Hiver  and  under  direc- 
tion of  Government  specialists  its  length  is  being  traced  and  mapped. 
Copious  lield  notes  are  being  taken  as  to  its  history  and  functions,  not 
only  in  the  mineralized  zone,  but  as  an  ancestor  of  one  or  more  of  our 
modern  river  courses.  Nothing  in  Mt.  Lassen's  long  volcanic  career  is 
more  amazing  than  the  effects  of  displaced  waters  and  the  intrusion  of 
lavas,  cement,  gravels  and  sands  hulen  with  gold  into  the  old  channels 
and  river  beds.  The  curious  manner  in  which  these  treasure  troves  are 
hidden  is  almost  beyond  belief.  As  a  general  rule  ancient  submerged 
river  channels  arc  broader  and  more  siiallow  than  their  modern  suc- 
cessors. The  old  streams  i)resent  a  labyrinthian  distribution  where 
drift  mining  is  being  done.  It  is  found  that  the  grades  difVer  greatly  and 
that  there  were  falls,  rapids  and  whirlpools  and  other  river  phenomena, 
similar  to  the  surface  waters  of  today.  In  a  few  ancient  river  beds  gold 
deposits  have  been  uncovered  more  than  six  hundred  feet  below  the 
top  soil. 

ANCiicxT  Axn  MODKUX  iuvi;u  coi  usi:s 

An  unanswered  question  which  i)uzzles  the  .neologist.  bailies  the  min- 
ing engineer  and  exasperates  the  irrigationist  is,  ^Vhy  does  not  the 
modern  river  follow  its  ancient  betl?  Professor  Joseph  Le  (-onte  was  of 
opinion  that  the  new  channels  are  cut  below  the  level  of  the  old  because 
of  a  considerable  elevation  of  the  whole  Sierra  Range  in  the  northern 
part  of  the  State.  This  proves  that  the  earth's  crust  was  tilted  in  the 
last  big  upheaval  of  Mt.  Lassen  and  its  minions.  This  also  accounts  for 
the  splendid  watershed  of  the  locality  and  for  the  desert  conditicms  of 
the  Great  Basin  and  Southern  California.  Here  many  rivers  start 
bravely  for  the  sea,  but  the  waters  seep  through  the  i)arched  sanils.  The 
streams  finally  splay  out  into  numerous  winding  rivulets  which  become 
insignificant,  dry  runways  Hushed  by  an  occasional  sjiring  freshet. 

[  11    ] 


I'l)  in  the  Sierra  looUiills  is  a  well-known  instance  where  the  bed  of 
an  ancient  river  runs  along  the  ridge  of  a  hill,  dips  through  the  Hank  of 
a  mountain,  clinil)s  over  a  steep  incline,  and  ends  by  bumping  into  a 
gianite  spur.  Of  course,  no  well-mannered  watercourse  ever  flung  itself 
about  in  this  i)r()miscuous  fashion  without  the  intervention  of  some 
freakish  volcanic  action  such  as  Lassen  affords.  This  badly-twisted, 
ancient  river  was  discovered  by  some  scientific  miners  who  waslied  the 
top  of  the  hill  from  the  bed,  then  hydraulicked  the  bed  for  its  gold 
content.  The  process  sent  millions  of  tons  of  waste  down  through  flume, 
tunnel  and  canyon  into  the  Sacramento  Valley  where  it  did  much  to 
aggravate  the  "Slickens"  question,  once  such  a  bone  of  contention  be- 
tween farmer  and  miner. 

An  observer  standing  at  iianner  Hill,  near  Nevada  City,  or  on  an 
elevation  near  Auburn,  in  Placer  County,  has  only  to  look  toward  the 
east  to  discover  many  of  the  ancient  river  head-waters  in  the  deep 
canyons  in  this  picturesque  region. 

An  outlandish  characteristic  of  lava  is  that  it  runs  uphill,  and  that 
its  velocity  does  not  depend  upon  the  incline.  Lava  makes  as  good  time 
going  uphill  as  down!  The  Sierra  Nevada  Mountains  attest  this  pe- 
culiarity to  a  remarkable  degree.  The  piling  up  of  the  thick,  viscous,'^ 
andesite  lava  cap  over  this  section  left  the  table  mountains  when  the 
action  of  the  elements  cut  through  the  porous  and  less  adhesive  mass  of 
scoria  and  ash  mixed  with  the  erupted  matter. 

The  cement  la>  ers,  the  lava  caps  and  table  mountains  are  the  despair 
of  the  nomadic  miner  with  pick  and  shovel.  The  chickens  could  easily 
have  found  much  of  the  gold  picked  up  by  the  forty-niner!  When  the 
gulches,  canyons,  river  bars,  benches,  riffles  and  beds  no  longer  yielded 
a  fortune  in  a  few  days  and  in  a  deposit  concentrated  into  a  dozen 
yards,  the  typical  prospector  sought  other  fields.  That  the  rush  of  the 
early  fifties  only  scratched  the  surface  is  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  in 
Placer  County  alone  there  are  two  hundred  miles  of  ancient  river  chan- 
nels still  unworked. 

In  olden  times  the  American  River  reached  to  English  Mountain, 
and  the  Tuohnnne  to  Mt.  Dana,  but  the  most  startling  change  of  all  over- 
took Lost  River  which  disappeared  near  Hat  Mountain.  Here  Lassen  in 
an  ugly  mood  swallowed  up  this  venturesome  stream  and  covered  its 
place  with  a  tortuous  maze  of  crisped  rocks,  cinders  and  scorias.  There 
is  also  another  Lost  River  near  Tule  Lake,  on  the  other  side  of  the  moun- 
tain close  to  the  Lava  Beds.  It,  too,  has  a  ghastly  geologic  history  and 
bears  the  indelible  marks  of  a  gigantic  struggle  with  pent-up  volcanic 
energy. 

A  fascinating  speculation  concerns  the  ancient  Jura  River,  with  its 
dry  bed  and  broken  banks.  Was  this  old  river  the  original  Sacramento?' 
Indian  legend  says  that  the  waters  of  the  Sacramento  were,  by  a  big 
shaking,  hurled  through  Canjuinez  Straits,  thus  cutting  off  San  Fran- 
cisco peninsula  from  the  mainland,  and  plowing  out  the  Golden  Gate 
entrance  to  the  bay.  Recently  the  .Jura  River  has  been  traced  almost  tO' 
the  Mexican  line,  making  it  a  worthy  ancestor  to  the  Sacramento,  whichi 

[   12   ] 


has  its  hoMiiiniii.ns  in  (iiiiU-  an   ()i)i)()silL'  diicction   near  the  base  of  Mt. 
Shasta. 

MOLNT  LASSKX  AND  ITS  SATKI.LITHS 

One  of  the  oldest  bits  of  land  on  the  North  American  Continent  is 
the  crest  of  the  Sierra  Nevadas  which  begins  in  the  Grizzly  Spur  Range 
in  Plumas  County  and  terminates  in  Pyramid  Peak  in  El  Dorado 
County.  This  ridge  is  older  than  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  to  it  has 
l)een  added  by  volcanic  action  all  of  the  labyrinthian  succession  of  ele- 
vations which  form  the  present  seventy-mile  thick  mountain  chain.  Here 
and  thei-e  these  high  crests  are  braced  and  held  together  by  intersecting 
lava  peaks  whose  tops  contain  extinct  craters.  Curiously  enough,  few 
of  these  volcanic  flows  originated  at  the  places  where  they  are  now 
found.  Many  of  the  beds  are  sixty  miles  or  more  from  their  craters! 
Time  and  erosion  have  slipped  them  down  the  mountain  sides. 

It  must  also  be  borne  in  mind  that  there  were  two  universal  over- 
flows when  all  of  the  craters  in  the  entire  system  emptied  simultane- 
ously. Ages  elapsed  between  the  two  epochs,  but  there  was  much  indi- 
vidual and  isolated  action  by  the  various  centers.  Often  these  occur- 
rences were  in  widely  separated  localities.  That  Mt.  Lassen  was  a  factor 
in  many  of  them  is  proven  by  the  various  kinds  of  lava  composing  the 
base  of  the  mountain.  The  first  was  basaltic,  then  there  was  a  consider- 
able eruption  of  rhyolite  stone.  The  last  big  blow-up  was  of  andecite, 
while  the  present  ash  and  cinder  deposits  are  of  dacite.  It  is  the  latter 
which  gives  the  mountain  its  beautiful,  pearl-gray  color,  and  is  undis- 
puted evidence  that  the  present  fires  are  deep  in  the  bowels  of  the 
earth.  Dacite  lava  belongs  to  the  Tertiary  period,  and  is  an  old 
forniafion. 

Are  the  theorists  right  in  the  assumption  that  Mt.  Lassen  and 
Kilauea's  liquid  fire  are  on  the  same  strata?  Does  not  the  phenomena  of 
the  vicinity  give  unmistakable  evidence  that  Lassen  Peak  is  never  really 
quiescent?  Does  anyone  believe  that  its  present  activity  is  caused  by 
surface  conditions?  Is  it  not  foolish  to  fear  that  a  great  catastrophe  is 
Ijossible  now?  Mt.  Lassen  today  is  a  hollow  shell — a  spent  force — and 
all  that  it  has  been  doing  lately  is  to  blow  out  and  clean  up  its  old 
vents!  Strictly  speaking,  it  is  Lassen  Peak  that  has  been  clearing  its 
tiiroat. 

In  accounting  for  the  ocean  of  andecite  lava  in  the  last  general  over- 
llow,  it  is  necessary  to  consider  tiie  innumerable  centers  within  the 
radius  of  Mt.  Lassen's  activity.  In  the  high  Sierras  near  Colfax,  Pinoli 
Peak,  English  Mountain,  Grouse  Ridge  and  Signal  Peak  did  their  full 
share.  From  Truckee  are  seen  the  lava  craters  of  Snow  Mountain.  Mc- 
Kinstry  and  Pyramid  Peaks  which  rise  from  the  same  granite  plateau 
as  Yosemite  Valley  where  ice  erosion  and  heavy  shakings  gouged  out 
this  matchless  gem  of  creation.  Southwest  of  Reno  is  a  scarified  mass 
of  lava  which  extends  from  Truckee  River  Canyon  to  Washoe  Valley. 
Mt.  Pluto  and  its  ridge  of  lesser  vents  were  the  source  of  the  formations 
in  that  section.  The  conditions  in  Placer  County  are  due  to  the  presence 
of  Canada  Hill,  Raid  Mountain  and  Duncan  Peak.  The  lavas  here  make 
the  life  of  the  miner  miserable  but  put  heart  into  the  man  looking  for 

[   H   ] 


power  sites.    'Jlie  scenery  ol"  lliis   i  uHf,'e(i   rei^ioii   is  siii)eil)   in    its   lofty 
grandeur. 

Hut  it  is  west  of  Lake  Tahoe,  beginninf,'  at  \\  rjjher  l^ake  and  includ- 
ing Mt.  Lola,  Castle  Peak,  Mt.  Lincoln,  'l"ind)er  Knob,  Mt.  Mildrerl  and 
Twin  Peaks,  that  the  sublime  and  beautiful  overcome  one's  awe  of  the 
titanic  forces  that  have  shaped  this  eerie  region.  Here  at  elevations  of 
ten  thousand  feet  or  more  are  piles  of  the  viscous,  slow-moving  andecite 
lava  fully  two  thousand  feet  thick!  Round  Top,  over  in  Alpine  County, 
has  a  large  group  of  lesser  vents  which  were  a  i)art  of  the  great  move- 
ment, while  Mt.  Hobb,  in  El  Dorado  County,  poin-ed  lava  over  miles  «tf 
that  section. 

Another  gigantic  center  culminates  in  Highland  and  liaymon*!  Peaks 
near  Markleville  where  the  deposits  are  known  to  be  four  thousand  feel 
thick,  and  are  piled  in  such  fantastic  forms  as  beggar  description. 

A  picturesque  spot  is  the  gold-laden  district  close  to  the  Dardanelles 
Bluffs.  The  counties  adjacent  to  Mt.  Lassen  are  filled  with  nests  of 
crater  peaks  and  vents  which  form  a  part  of  the  Ihiee  luimhcd  and 
sixty-five  craters  visible  from  Lassen  Peak. 

In  the  remote  past,  a  steaming,  desolate  exi)anse  of  volcani*-  tufa, 
mud  and  scoria  covered  all  of  the  intervening  spaces  between  these  high 
crater  centers.  Then  countless  rills  of  storm  waters  ilowed  down  the 
slopes.  Gullies,  ravines  and  new  master  streams  were  formed.  After  the 
shakings  ceased  and  a  normal  temperature  was  established,  the  canyon 
cutting  began,  with  the  bewildering  results  seen  today. 

For  several  thousand  years  the  topography  of  the  mountain  countr> 
has  not  changed.  It  still  has  its  groves  of  oaks  in  the  foothills,  its  giant 
pines  on  the  middle  slopes,  and  a  thin  fringe  of  storm-scarred  hemlocks 
on  the  summits.  Held  fast  in  this  rigid  sea  of  partly  submerged  lavas  are 
three  of  the  scenic  wonders  of  North  America.  These  aie  Mt.  Whitney, 
the  highest  mountain  in  the  United  States,  fourteen  thousand  five  hun- 
dred and  two  feet,  Mt.  Lassen  with  its  active  volcanic  peak,  and  the 
Yosemite  Valley. 

PRESKXT  WONDKIIS  OF  MT.  L.VSSEX  DISTUIOT 

It  was  the  poetic  imagination  of  Washington  Irving  which  immortal- 
ized the  story  of  Bonneville  Lake.  This  perii)atelic  body  of  water 
anciently  occupied  Honey  Lake  Valley  and  was  the  progenitor  of  Eiigie. 
Pyramid  and  Honey  Lakes  in  the  basin  northeast  of  Mt.  Lassen  and  of 
Great  Salt  Lake  in  Utah!  Bonneville  Lake  was  supposed  to  occupy 
seventeen  thousand  s([uare  miles  of  territory  and  to  have  been  fresh 
water.  The  Indian  tradition  is  that  when  the  mountains  were  all 
"spitting"  at  once  a  big  water  rushed  in  and  stayed  a  long  time!  Did 
the  water  come  from  Lost  Hiver,  down  whose  enipty  course  the  eruption 
of  Lassen  Peak.  May  22.  li)l.'),  came  like  an  avalanche  of  nuid.  hot  rocks 
and  ashes? 

What  is  now  left  of  Honey  Lake  lies  like  an  c\t[iiisile  lire  ()pal  eilged 
by  a  lacy  formation  of  volcanic  matter.  Its  shallow  ilepths  rellect  each 
passing  mood  of  cloud  and  sky.  and  by  moonlight  holds  the  senses  spell- 

[   L')   ] 


bound  by  its  silvery  shadows  and  glades  of  light.  Its  name  is  given 
because  of  the  manna  from  Heaven  in  the  form  of  a  heavy,  swcelisli 
dew  that  falls  upon  its  grass  blades  each  night. 

In  striking  contrast  to  the  daintiness  of  Honey  Lake  are  Lake  Tahoe 
and  Crater  Lake,  both  cups  of  sapphire  set  in  the  ragged  lips  of  an  old 
crater.  Lying  so  near  the  open  vent  of  Lassen  Peak  as  to  be  always  in 
danger  of  extinction,  is  Lake  Helen.  Its  waters  are  glacial,  its  surface 
usually  blanketed  with  ice,  and  it  is  seldom  other  than  snowbound.  Of  a 
totally  diiferent  character  is  Lake  Tartarus,  the  boiling  lake  of  Warner 
Valley,  seven  miles  south  of  the  base  of  Lassen  Peak.  Here  the  strangel> 
saturated   mineral   waters  boil  and   gurgle   in   ceaseless   fury,  while   a 


TT^^^ 


v..i*  T- 


DllVASTATED  AhKA,   MAY  22,  1915. 


chain  of  sputtering  mud  pots  completely  encircle  its  steaming  banks.  No 
two  of  the  mud  pots  are  alike,  either  in  coloring,  activity  or  smell.  It 
would  be  easy  to  believe  that  the  unruly  fire  spirits  of  this  uncanny 
region  mess  here  perpetually  and  that  their  stews  were  continually  in 
the  process  of  cooking. 

The  Devil's  Kitchen,  quite  appropriately  named,  gives  a  continuous 
performance  of  steaming  crevices,  roaring  geysers  spouting  hot  water 
to  varying  heights  up  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet.  There  are  innumer- 
able waterfalls  bursting  through  the  steep  walls  of  the  narrow  canyon, 
and  every  known  kind  of  mineral  spring,  hissing  and  steaming  along- 
side of  others  of  ice-cold  water.    Perpendicular  walls  of  broken  lava 

[  16  ] 


J 


siuTouiul  llu'  entire  Kitelun,  while  liiroiimh  it  flows  a  luri^id  stream,  tlie 
Little  Styx,  which  in  the  level  places  forms  green,  slimy  pools  where 
ti'oUs  might  find  a  tongenial  hahitalion. 

GEYSERS  AND  HOT  SIMUNCS 

On  the  south  and  soutiiwest  sloiH's  of  Lasser.  Peak  there  is  an  area  of 
ahout  thirty  acres  where  one  should  pick  their  way  carefully.  I'his 
space  contains  ahout  eight  hundretl  volcanic  vents.  And  they  hiss  and 
steam  and  gurgle  all  the  time!  It  is  an  uncanny  region,  and  one  feels 
that  there  is  boiling  water  underneath  the  huge  lava  shell  he  is  walking 
over.  The  fact  that  there  is  a  top  soil  and  verdure  covering  the  area 
does  not  change  this  impression. 

Here  the  voices  of  Lassen  are  heard,  and  they  are  gutteral  and 
sinister.  Some  movements  of  water  soothe  and  pacify;  some  sing  mer- 
rily, or  chatter  foolishly.  Lassen  growls  and  grumbles,  snaps  and 
snarls,  and  one  is  made  aw^are  that  here  latent  but  tempestuous  fury 
sleeps  fitfully  after  centuries  of  unbridled  and  wilful  self-indulgence. 
Unruly  Lassen  has  always  been  a  law^  unto  itself.  Man  and  his  puny 
works  dwarf  into  insignificance  in  the  presence  of  such  stupendous 
cosmic  forces. 

It  is  (piite  evident  that  the  geyser  activity  of  this  region  has  been 
accelerated  by  the  latest  explosive  eruptions  of  the  re-awakened  peak. 
The  water  seems  hotter  and  it  is  flung  higher  than  it  was  before  the 
events  of  1914  and  later.  The  Little  Styx  continues  to  be  muddy,  and 
there  are  trees  and  other  debris  cluttering  its  tortuous  banks,  which 
bear  convincing  evidence  of  a  subterranean  connection  between  the 
new  craters  and  the  Devil's  Kitchen. 

vmGiN  Fom:sTS 

^Vit]lin  a  thirty-mile  radius,  and  at  elevations  ranging  from  two 
thousand  to  forty-five  hundred  feet  are  splendid  forests  of  sugar  pine 
with  horizontal  boughs  tipped  with  long  pendant  cones  like  dark  rustic 
lanterns.  Mingled  with  them  are  great  columned  trunks  of  yellow  pine 
whose  russet  bark  forms  a  sharp  contrast  of  color  to  the  majestic  ever- 
green firs  with  their  fairy  banners  of  lacy  yellow  moss,  to  say  nothing 
of  the  varied  lesser  growths  scattered  everywhere. 

A  curious  feature  of  the  Lassen  forest  is  the  sudden  falling  of  the 
matured  trees,  often  when  there  is  not  a  breath  of  air  stirring.  Without 
any  apparent  cause,  down  comes  a  hoary  giant  with  a  crash.  None  of 
the  stands  of  timber  is  well  rooted.  Those  at  the  higher  altitudes  are 
sparse  and  stunted  in  growth.  At  the  snow-line  only  tamaracks  survive 
the  rigors  of  cold,  bleak  winds  and  eternal  ice.  Should  ficc  or  other 
misfortune  wipe  out  the  forests  of  the  mountain  regions,  the  whole 
climatic  condition  of  Northern  California  would  change.  There  would 
be  less  rainfall  and  nuich  severer  cold. 

LAVA  CAVES  AND  CAVEUXS 

The  Modoc  Lava  Beds  extend  over  one  hundred  square  miles  of 
territory  north  of  Lassen  Peak  and  between  Modoc  and  Siskiyou  Coun- 

[  18  ] 


ties.  Language  fails  to  convey  a  corri'ct  idea  of  tliis  ainaziiiHly  <iistorler| 
mass,  incredibly  rough  in  surface  and  of  every  imaginable  twist  and 
contortion.  The  entire  Held  is  studded  with  caves  and  caverns,  gorges 
and  peri)en(licular  walls,  but  there  is  a  bizarre  beauty  about  it  all  be- 
cause of  the  rich  coloring  of  the  sharp  crests  where  the  wind  has  left 
titanic  ripples,  hard  as  flint  and  oxydized  into  gorgeous  green,  red. 
yellow  and  brown  patches.  Fancy  easily  groups  these  into  a  huge  Indian 
sand  picture,  grotestpie,  symbolic  and  full  of  mystery.  .\  gruesome 
tinge  to  the  awe-inspiring  spectacle  is  tiie  giim  use  made  of  this  in- 
accessible region  during)  the  Modoc  Indian  War  of  tiie  early  seventies. 
A  rude  cross  marks  the  spot  wiiere  the  gallant  Ganby  me*  a  treacherous 
death,  and  Captain  .lack's  Stronghold,  a  concealed  cavern  near  Tule 
Lake,  is  still  an  object  of  mournfid  interest  to  both  red  and  white  men. 
It  was  by  the  cunning  use  of  the  caves  and  caverns  that  a  band  of  fifty- 
two  Indian  braves  successfully  withstood  the  attack  of  more  than  a 
thousand  white  soldiers. 

Marking  the  subterranean  lava  flows  of  various  periods  around  the 
base  of  Lassen  Peak  are  a  number  of  caves  indicated  by  huge  natural 
tubes  having  arched  roofs  and  multicolored,  heavily-encrusted  walls. 
In  some  places  these  caverns  are  filled  to  the  brim  with  glacial  ice. 
Others  still  have  beautiful  crystal  columns  reaching  from  floor  to  roof. 
In  quite  a  number  the  walls  are  overflowed  with  frozen  cataracts  whose 
rough  surfaces  reflect  the  light  and  glitter  like  immense  uncut  diamonds. 
No  matter  how  hard  the  summer  heat  beats  down  on  these  lava  ice 
chambers  no  change  in  temperature  occurs,  and  the  hiker  and  tourist 
will  find  refreshingly  cool  water  always  on  tap  or  easily  procured  in 
case  of  need. 

AX  KI.  DORADO  I.tGEXD 

Belief  in  the  existence  of  a  will-o'-the-wisp  lake  lined  with  gold  and 
said  to  be  near  the  base  of  Lassen  Peak  caused  some  American  adven- 
tures which  rivalled  in  foolhardiness  any  of  the  other  (|uests  for  F.l 
Dorado.  A  typical  gold-seeker  named  Stoddard,  with  a  companion,  lost 
his  way  in  Big  Meadows  in  the  fall  of  1849.  They  left  the  Peter  Lassen 
Emigrant  Trail  and  wandered  hopelessly  for  weeks  over  hills  and 
valleys  until  one  day  they  came  upon  a  tiny  lake  set  in  a  coronet  of 
serried  lava  blufrs.  In  a  fissure  in  the  side  of  tlic  clilV  they  found  several 
large  nuggets  of  gold.  Finally,  separated  from  his  companion,  Stoddard 
cut  his  way  through  dense  thickets  and  stumbled  over  an  incredibly 
rough  country  until  he  reached  the  north  fork  of  the  Yuba,  in  Sierra 
County,  where  some  diggings  were  in  full  blast.  He  was  famished  and 
half-crazed,  but  had  the  precious  nuggets  with  him.  The  horrors  of  the 
fate  of  the  Donner  party  were  too  fresh  in  mind  to  induce  anyone  to 
venture  into  the  High  Sierras  in  midwinter.  Manyscofled  at  Stoddard's 
description  of  the  golden  lake,  but  in  the  spring  of  1850  a  company  of 
twenty-five  worked  its  way  up  over  the  divide  between  North  Yuba  and 
Middle  Feather  Rivers.  They  were  followed  by  a  motley  host  of  other 
treasure-hunters.  Then  began  a  mad  search  for  a  mythical  lake  whicli 
entailed  unspeakable  hardsliips  anil  drove  at  least  a  dozen  men  to  death. 
Every  ridge  from  Downieville  to  Mt.  Lassen  and  as  far  east  as  the 
Nevada  desert  was  carefully  explored,  but  without  results. 

[   ID   ] 


AVhen  Stoddard's  party  arrived  at  Humbug  Valley  he  thought  he  had 
found  the  spot.  By  this  time  many  of  his  followers  declared  that  the 
golden  lake  was  a  figment  of  Stoddard's  befuddled  brain,  and  in  dis- 
gust gave  the  valley  the  name  it  bears  today. 

For  ten  days  longer  tlie  grumbling,  dissatisiied  crowd  searched  the 
mountains  thoroughly,  but  wei'e  always  doomed  to  disappointment. 
Finally  their  sufferings  grew  so  intense  that  tlie  party  halted  in  a  stretch 
of  meadow  land  and  decided  to  give  Stoddard  a  last  chance  to  locate 
the  treasure-laden  lake.  His  companions  informed  him  that  if  he  failed 
they  intended  to  hang  him.  Stoddard  utilized  this  opportunity  by  taking 
to  his  heels.  He  gave  such  good  leg  bail  that  none  of  his  indignant  pur- 
suers were  able  to  overtake  him.  It  is  said  that  Stoddard  never  stopped 
running  until  he  was  in  sight  of  the  Golden  Gate. 

The  rumors  of  fabulous  hidden  wealth  in  the  rocky  convolutions  at 
the  base  of  Lassen  Peak  were  not  easily  quieted.  The  marvelous  color- 
ings of  the  lavas,  the  unmistakable  indications  of  mineral  deposits  in 
the  ash  and  scoria  emitted  keep  alive  the  thought  that  there  may  be 
untold  wealth  yet  to  be  found  in  that  vicinity.  Peter  Lassen  was  long 
suspected  of  replenishing  his  store  of  gold  dust  from  such  a  secret 
place.  When  in  need  he  disappeared  from  his  usual  haunts,  and  in  a 
short  time  returned  liberally  supplied  with  nuggets.  But  to  no  one  did 
he  ever  confide  where  they  came  from. 

In  the  eruption  of  May  22,  1915,  on  the  slope  of  the  Peak  toward 
Manzanita  Creek  there  was  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  basaltic  lava  which 
contained  small  particles  of  gold  quartz. 

THE  REAL  GOLD  LAKE 

Because  of  the  superb  chain  of  crater  lakes  topping  a  ridge  for  fifty 
miles,  the  Mohawk  Valley  district  has  been  called  the  American  High- 
lands. The  middle  fork  of  the  Feather  River  winds  like  a  silver  thread 
through  the  valley.  High  above  begin  the  limpid  pools  which  string 
along  from  Eureka  Lake  in  Plumas  County  to  Upper  and  Lower  Sardine 
Lakes  in  Sierra  County.  The  lakes  included  are  Long,  Bear,  Grass,  Gold, 
Silver,  Wade,  Jamison,  Squaw,  Parker,  Saronal,  Upper  and  Lower  Sar- 
dine Lakes  and  Upper  and  Lower  Salmon  Lakes. 

This  is  the  crudest,  wildest  and  most  magnificent  stretch  of  scenery 
imaginable.  The  slopes  break  away  into  spacious  canyons  or  lead  up  to 
granite  walls  overrun  with  moss  and  lichens  after  being  split  asunder 
by  giant  pines  and  cedars.  There  are  bits  of  treeless  mountain  ground 
covered  with  branchy  thickets  of  chaparal  and  manzanita  which,  seen 
from  above,  are  as  huge  green  billows  in  a  sea  of  summits.  The  road 
winds  through  shady  groves  where  tiny  streams  scatter  verdure  in  their 
wake  and  where  the  exotic  tiger  lily  stalks  in  the  tangled  copses. 

Before  reaching  the  lakes  there  is  a  series  of  pretty  little  pools  set 
in  tiny  meadows  on  tlie  side  of  the  road.  Here  the  deer  come  down  from 
the  chaparal  in  the  cool  of  the  evening  to  drink.  Just  before  Gold  Lake 
is  reached,  the  saw-teeth  peaks  of  the  Sierra  Buttes  appear  above  the 
skyline.    Looking  back  over  Frazier  Canyon  there  is  an  imposing  view 

[   20   ] 


of   mountain    heights    ;inil    cliasms,   {•nil)r;u-ing  in   its    sco|)e    tiie    snowy 
crests  of  I.assen  Peak. 

All  of  this  eountry  ^^as  famous  in  early  history.  Each  and  every  one 
of  these  lakes  were  vainly  sought  as  the  fahulous  Gohl  Lake.  At  the  ex- 
treme end  of  the  chain  towards  the  northwestern  boundary  of  Sierra 
County  are  "Whiskey  Diggings"  and  "Poker  Fhit,"  the  setting  for  several 
of  Bret  Harte's  most  interesting  tales.  Downieville  and  Sierra  City  are 
also  towns  of  Sierra  County  that  are  vibrant  with  the  spirit  of  forty- 
nine.  Johnsville  is  an  old  village  set  far  above  Mohawk  Valley  where 
there  are  mines  that  date  back  to  the  early  iifties.  There  is  probably 
no  mining  town  in  the  State  that  has  kept  its  local  color  as  has  this  one. 
The  IMumas-Kureka,  the  Jamison  and  the  Four  Hills  Mines  produced 
abundantly  foi"  sixty  years. 

A  huntkk's  pahadise 

Before  California  became  a  name)  to  conjure  with,  the  Hudson  Bay 
and  American  Fur  Companies  sent  trappers  to  take  pelts  over  all  the 
territory  between  Southwestern  Canada  and  the  junction  of  the  Sacra- 
mento and  American  Rivers.  These  were  undoubtedly  the  first  white 
men  ever  seen  in  this  section.  They  laid  the  foundation  for  the  boundary 
disputes  which  at  later  date  came  near  to  involving  us  in  war  over  the 
"Fifty-four  Forty  or  Fight"  slogan.  Rival  claims  to  seacoast  led  to  long 
and  bitter  discussions  before  the  fisheries  claims  of  the  Northwest  were 
finally  settled.  As  fur  hunters  they  found  plenty  of  silver  and  gray 
foxes,  beaver  and  mink. 

The  first  settlers  in  this  region  were  those  solitary  giants  who  have 
blazed  civilization's  way  in  every  wilderness.  Here  the  beasts  fought 
back.  It  was  no  uncommon  thing  for  the  emigrant  to  see  an  outraged 
grizzly  rise  on  hind  legs  and  block  the  way  of  the  ox-team.  The  hostile 
Indians  were  not  so  much  to  be  feared  as  a  pair  of  mountain  lions,  a 
pack  of  gray  or  timber  wolves,  or  the  sudden  leap  of  the  stealthy 
panther. 

The  toot  of  the  mountain-climbing  engine,  the  creaks  and  groans  of 
heavily-laden  freight  trains,  or  the  screech  of  the  Overland  Limited 
have  sent  big  game  back  into  the  remote  fastnesses,  but  it  is  still  possible 
to  pot  a  caribou,  an  elk,  a  brown  or  black  bear  and  several  species  of 
deer  within  easy  reach  of  railway  lines. 

Away  from  the  settlements  and  farms  may  be  found  an  occasional 
scar  along  the  ground  where  the  men  who  walked  across  the  continent 
spent  their  days  in  search  of  gold.  With  few  exceptions  the  miners 
destroyed  little  of  Nature's  beauty,  and  the  lesser  game  is  left  in  un- 
disputed possession  of  this  magic  realm.  Here  man  begins  to  lift  the 
veil  and  venture  toward  the  heart  of  things.  Soon  he  can  see  the  rabbits 
hopping,  and  he  will  spy  the  quail  before  he  hears  the  whirr  of  vibrant 
w'ings.  When  he  hears  a  distant  drumming  he  will  sense  that  a  lordly 
cock  grouse  is  near.  The  sliglitest  movement  on  his  part  will  cause  the 
grouse  to  stretch  itself  along  the  limb  of  a  tree.  He  will  need  to  be  an 
exi)erienced  and  sharp-eyed  woodsman  to  distinguish  fenthcr--  from 
bark  after  the  grouse  has  cunningly  concealed  itself. 

[   22   ] 


m;FO'Ri:. 


-^-o<«r 


^.^ri^i"^^-^.^^ '  < 


A— 


olO 


y-A  N 


'»k'' 


;'rxjir 


'^i 


UNITED    STATIiS   FOREST    SERVICE 

LOOKOUT  HOUSE. 

SEPTEMBER  29,  1914;  EVENING. 

It  will  not  be  necessary  lor  the 
fisherman  to  tell  "whoppers" 
about  his  prowess.  He,  in  turn, 
will  find  much  to  astonish  him 
in  the  pools  and  ripples.  Here 
are  rainbow  trout — truly  a  gift 
of  the  gods — almost  as  big  as 
salmon.  There  are  several  other 
varieties  of  trout  which  all  but 
leap  out  of  the  water  and  chase 
the  fly-caster  for  a  chance  to 
bite.  The  gamey  salmon  often 
makes  the  run  up  llie  larger 
streams  whose  banks  are  lined 
with  waterfowl  which  are  easil\ 
bagged.  There  is  no  exaggerat- 
ing the  sensation  tliat  cnmes 
from  following  {lie  swirl  of  a 
silken  line.  The  reflection  of  sky 
and  cloud  are  such  as  the  low- 
lands never  knew.  While  dis- 
entangling the  tiny  hook  from  a 
mischievous  bough  the  eyes  open 
to  the  sublimity  of  the  peaks 
above.  l'resenll\  tiie  slaiiiing 
discovery  is  made  that  the  stream 
itself  is   nothing  less  than   silver 

[   2.3    ] 


and   lur(|uoise  turned   licpiid   and 
running  its  iiicrr\-  wa>-. 

11  was  carl.N  in  l.SHO  that  Don 
Luis  .\rguelio,  the  liist  Mexican 
(lovernor  of  (California,  with  a 
(•()ini)any  of  S|)aniar(ls,  went  on 
an  exploring  expedition  from  the 
.Sacramento  Valley  to  the  Feather 
Hiver  above  Marysville,  and  fol- 
lowed u|)  liic  slrcani  lor  about 
sixty  miles.  He  named  the  river 
Hio  de  Las  I'lumas,  because  of 
its  myriad  feathery  ii])i)les 
wiiere  the  waters  dash  over  un- 
even formations.  Its  north  fork 
rises  on  the  southern  side  of  Las- 
sen Peak  and  has  an  extremely 
winding  and  twisting  descent  all 
the  way  through  to  and  includ- 
ing the  Feather  Hiver  (Canyon. 
Los  Molinos  (Creek  still  keeps  its 
Sjianish  name,  while  only  Plumas 
(County  retains  the  original  title 
of  the  spiightly  and  beautiful 
Feather  Hiver  with  its  zig-zag 
forks   and    tributaries. 

.\iti:h. 


iMri  1)  siAii  s  i-(uu:si    si'uvK  1 

1  OOKOLT  HOUSE. 

si;i'ri:MHi:R  :w.  liiii;  >K)RNiN(i 


The  Mission-biiiUling  Spaniards  left  an  indelible  imprint  upon 
Southern  and  Central  Galilornia,  but  only  a  few  of  their  musical  names 
are  attached  to  anything  in  the  Lassen  country.  Instead  of  Santas  and 
Sans  we  have  "villes"  terminating  the  name  of  every  hamlet  and  village 
built  by  the  Argonauts  who  crept  across  the  plains  and  found  their  way 
over  the  mountains  of  Oregon  into  Honey  Lake  Valley  and  Big  Meadows. 
The  old  emigrant  trails  of  Applegatc,  Noble  and  Peter  Lassen  came  to 
an  end  in  these  grassy  i)lains.  Here  man  and  animal  rested  and  refreshed 
themselves  before  a  future  line  of  activity  was  mapped  out.  Sometimes 
the  groups  separated  and  headed  for  the  mining  camps  along  the  Mother 
Lode  or  some  ancient  river  channel. 

A  few  stayed  in  Susanville  and'  formed  the  nucleus  of  the  defenders 
of  California's  claims  in  the  famous  Sage  Brush  War  when  the  "Never 
Sweats"  tried  to  include  Long  Valley  and  Honey  Lake  Basin  in  the 
newly  organized  territory  of  Nevada.  Peter  Lassen  was  mixed  up  in 
this  affair  which  was  finally  settled  in  1863. 

The  essence  and  flavor  of  pioneer  days  still  hangs  over  the  counties 
radiating  from  Lassen  Peak.  The  rush  and  hurry  of  modern  civiliza- 
tion have  passed  these  communities  by  and  left  something  very  well 
worth  preserving.  Some  of  the  old  settlers  still  feel  crowded  if  there  is 
more  than  one  inhabitant  to  the  square  mile.  There  are  plenty  of  Jim 
Smiley  types  in  out-of-the-way  places,  and,  presumably,  numbers  of 
jumping  frogs,  such  as  Mark  Twain  found  in  Calaveras  County,  that  do 
not  "have  any  pints  about  'em  different  from  any  other  frogs."  The 
woman  who  put  Susan  into  Susanville  would  have  made  a  perfect  model 
for  a  typical  pioneer  mother,  and  there  are  scores  like  her  who  make 
any  community  better  by  living  in  it. 

Years  have  elapsed  since  emigrant  trains  of  ox-teams  wound  their 
way  slowly  through  the  foothills  of  Northern  California.  Modern 
through  traffic  has  left  little  impress  save  in  favored  spots  where  farms 
or  hamlets  flourish.  Mining  industry  has  languished,  but  stock-raising 
has  held  its  own.  The  summer  months  find  herds  of  cattle  and  sheep 
scattered  over  the  remote  fastnesses.  The  tinkle  of  bells  greets  the  ear 
of  the  camper  or  prospector,  and  the  early  fall  sees  many  flocks  of 
sheep  and  herds  of  cattle  en  route  to  lower  altitudes.  The  intelligent 
shepherd  dog  and  the  equally  knowing  cowboy  pony  are  frequently 
encountered  following  the  herds. 

"the  long,  high  mountain  that  was  broken" 

The  Maidu  Indians  have  a  tradition  concerning  the  vast  universal 
eruption  of  the  Lassen  volcanoes.  They  say  that  long  ago  all  of  the 
mf)untains  spit  at  once  for  six  days  and  nights.  A  little  old  woman 
came  from  Nevada  way  and  sang  all  night.  Then  the  mountains  did 
not  spit  any  more.  A  big  water  poured  into  Honey  Lake  Valley,  and  a 
god  came  and  brought  two  fishes.  He  sat  all  night  on  Hat  Mountain, 
leaving  the  top  creased  into  the  form  from  which  it  takes  its  name.  The 
Pit  River,  Modoc,  ]Maidu  and  Klamath  Indians  use  the  word  "Yermani" 
for  mountain.  The  Maidus  say  "La  Lapham  Yermani  Y'aidum" 
— meaning  the  long,  high  mountain  that  was  broken.  They  also  claim 
that  the  old  mountain  used  to  be  much  higher  than  it  is  now. 

[   24   ] 


From  lime  immemorial,  all  of  the  Indians  of  Northern  California 
have  held  Mt.  Lassen  sacred.  It  was  commonly  referred  to  by  them  as 
"The  Sweat  House  of  the  Gods."  The  Maid  us  believe  that  the  present 
eruptions  will  end  when  the  old  enijjty  shell  of  the  mountain  blows 
itself  to  i)ieces.  They  say  that  bye  and  bye  Lassen  Peak  will  be  no 
higher  than  the  rest  of  the  range.  That  all  of  its  fh'e  and  water  will  run 
away.  Then  the  god  will  come  hack  and  the  Indians  will  be  given  all 
that  their  hearts  desire. 

Is  it  true,  thou  must  leave  thy  place. 

In  the  mountain  rani^e  wliere  thy  matchless  grace 

And  stately  presence,  serene,  apart, 

(niards  untold  treasures  in  thy  fiery  heart? 

Ah  !  no ;  ah,  no  !  It  can  not  he. 

Thou  must  endure  through  Eternity. 

— Rev.  Mother  Berchmans. 

ANIMAL  AND  HUMAN  LIFH  OF  THE  OLDEN  TIME 

It  gives  one  an  odd  feeling  to  realize  that  in  the  San  .loaquin  and 
Sacramento  Valleys  once  roamed  the  Imperial,  Columbian  and  hairy 
mammoth  elephants — all  of  them  larger  than  any  known  species  of 
today.  With  them  were  mastodons,  camels,  lions,  sabre-toothed  tigers, 
cave  bears,  the  great  wolf  and  the  giant  sloth.  Several  species  of  horses 
also  inhabited  these  wide  plains.  Among  them  were  a  doll  pony  with 
five  toes,  a  forest  horse  about  the  size  of  a  colt,  another  with  three  toes, 
and  one  with  a  tiny  hoof  and  big  head  but  in  shape  and  size  like  the 
domestic  animal  of  the  present  time.  Stranger  still  is  the  fact  that  the 
horses  of  all  sizes  had  passed  so  completely  out  of  existence  that  none 
of  the  red  race  remembered  anything  about  them  when  the  white  man 
came.  Specimens  of  all  of  these  animals,  except  the  smaller  horses, 
have  been  recovered  from  the  asphalt  deposits  in  the  La  Brea  pits 
located  within  the  city  limits  of  Los  Angeles.  The  contents  of  these  pits 
prove  that  these  animals  were  widely  distributed  and  that  they  came  to 
a  sudden  end  about  the  beginning  of  the  present  geological  period.  It 
is  an  axiom  of  animal  life  that  the  power  of  a  species  to  adapt  itself  to 
changing  conditions  depends  entirely  upon  climate. 

Trees  and  other  forms  of  plant  life  indicate  little  change  in  tempera- 
ture or  moisture  in  the  past  ten  thousand  years.  A  case  in  point  is  the 
size  and  species  of  trees  found  imbedded  in  the  cement  overlay  in  the 
Weske  Channel  near  Forest  Hill,  Placer  County.  This  cement  covering 
is  fully  one  hundred  feet  deep,  and  in  it  are  a  number  of  oak  trees 
standing  on  the  banks  of  the  channel  with  their  roots  intact  in  the 
gravelly  soil  and  bed  rock.  One  cedar  tree  nearly  one  hundred  feet  high 
has  a  base  four  feet  in  diameter.  It  stands  upright,  and  is  in  a  very 
good  state  of  preservation.  A  fair-sized  stump  of  a  Monterey  cypress 
was  found  in  one  of  the  pits  at  La  Brea,  and  is  now  exhibited  with  the 
fossil  animal  remains. 

A  study  of  the  ancient  river  courses  furnishes  a  plausible  solution 
of  the  extinction  of  the  prehistoric  animals.  The  universal  overflow  of 
waters  which  cut  out  the  new  river  channels  inundated  the  lowlands  to 

[   26   ] 


a  sudicicnt  depth  to  dcslroy  all  forms  of  IjIl-.  In  fact  all  u[  tliu  .niiiial 
and  much  of  the  plant  life  did  perish.  The  big  tiees  remained.  Our 
sequoias  belong  to  the  Mammoth  age!  The  General  Sherman  tree  was 
two  thousand  years  old  when  Christ  was  born.  Its  ancestors  undfjubtedly 
lived  through  the  terrible  scourge  which  fell  ui)on  contem|)oraneoiis  life 
when  Mt.  Lassen  led  the  hosts  of  vcjlcanoes  ushering  in  a  new  era  about 
ten  thousand  years  ago. 

Oh,  fateful  day  that  ushered  in 

A  cycle  new  of  lite  for  man  ! 
Oh,  cosmic  force  that  liclpcd  to  win 

A  treasure  trove  frf)m  elfin  clan. 

Professor  John  C.  Merriman  asserts  that  human  life  existed  in  Cali- 
fornia between  ten  thousand  and  twenty  thousand  years  ago.  His 
opinion  is  based  on  finds  of  human  bones  in  the  Pioneer  and  Ilawver 
Caves  of  El  Dorado  County.  Then,  too,  there  is  the  Calaveras  skull, 
which  seems  to  sustain  Professor  Whitney's  claim  of  linding  human 
remains  in  the  auriferous  gravel  beds  which  are  closely  associated  with 
Lassen  volcanic  activities.  The  skull  and  arm  bones  of  a  woman  taken 
from  La  Brea  pit,  Number  Ten,  may  admittedly  be  reckoned  as  thou- 
sands of  years  old.  Down  in  the  third  chamber  of  the  mysterious 
"Moaning  Cave  of  Villecita,"  in  Calaveras  County,  was  recently  dis- 
covered a  pile  of  human  skeletons  of  a  race  larger  than  the  average 
man.  The  third  chamber  is  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  below  the  sec- 
ond, which  in  turn  is  several  bundled  feet  below  the  surface.  The 
question  is:  How'  did  these  bones  reach  the  spot  where  they  were 
found?  They  must  have  passed  over  two  dills  of  considerable  height 
and  a  great  distance  apart. 

Last  of  all  comes  the  skull  found  a  few  weeks  ago  in  a  clilV  on  San 
Francisciuito  Creek,  near  Stanford  University.  This  skull,  like  that  of 
Calaveras,  is  dated  back  ten  thousand  years  ago!  Professor  Dai  ley 
Willis,  in  discussing  this  latest  testimony  to  man's  life  in  prehistoric 
California,  says:  "I  believe  that  if  you  wen-  to  meet  this  man  today,  he 
would  not  look  so  very  different  from  other  men." 

KAHLV  INDIAN  UKCOHDS 

The  Indians  living  about  the  base  of  Mt.  Lassen  preserve  an  (M-al 
history  of  the  old  mountain's  "spittings"  and  shakings  which  has  been 
handed  down  for  generations.  None  in  the  living  tribes  know  who 
wrote  the  pictographic  records  of  an  exodus  to  the  south  in  an>.  ieiit 
days.  The  elders  agree  that  terrible  things  happened  when  tlie  moun- 
tains all  spit  at  once.  Hot  and  cold  water  ran  over  everything,  and  all 
the  Indians  who  did  not  die  went  on  a  long  journey.  It  was  a  long, 
long  time  before  they  came  back  again.  They  also  have  a  tradition  ei>n- 
cerning  the  big  animals  that  perished  at  the  same  time. 

Near  Eagle  Lake  and  in  Honey  Lake  Valley  tluTe  are  continuous 
rows  of  petroglypbs  traced  on  the  lava  bombs  scattered  as  thick  as  hail 
over  the  level  si)aces  or  piled  in  fantastic  wraiths  against  the  skyline. 
These  ancient  records  of  Indian  migrations  folhtw  old  patlis  c  iii  tlironi:!! 

[   27   ] 


\ 


hROKE-OFF  MOUNTAIN,  OLDEST  CRATER  OF  MT.  LASSEN. 

the  High  Sierras  to  Penryn  and  along  the  summit  to  Kings  River  Canyon. 
At  Penryn  (juite  an  elaborate  story  is  written,  and  in  Kings  River  Can- 
yon days  would  be  required  to  decipher  the  annals  left  in  the  rocks. 
The  same  system  of  writing  connects  with  the  Clift'  Dwellers  of  Colorado 
and  New  Mexico  and  is  found  as  far  south  as  the  Sierra  Madre  Moun- 
tains in  the  States  of  Sonora  and  Sinaloa,  Mexico.  The  Indian  scribes 
picked  out  crude  figures  in  sharp  outlines  wnth  some  harder  implement 
on  the  smooth  or  sheltered  rock  surfaces.  They  often  added  a  touch  of 
realism  by  using  ochre  and  cinnabar  to  give  color  to  the  object  treated. 

It  was  my  good  fortune  to  find  at  Relfast,  fifteen  miles  from  Susan- 
ville,  an  unmistakable  liieroglyph  of  Quetzalcoatl — the  Mexican  fair 
god.  The  figure  was  colored  and  showed  the  serpent  messenger  of  the 
god   departing.    The   hieroglyph  was   outlined   on   a   basalt   lava   block 


PIT  RIVFH  FALLS. 


[   28   ] 


BURNEY  FALLS,  125  FEET  HIGH. 

\vhic!;  Ji.ul  I'liother  block  lyiiiif 
over  it  in  such  a  way  as  to  pro- 
tect the  figures.  I  much  regret 
being  unable  to  secure  a  photo- 
graph of  my  find.  It  will  be 
necessary  to  use  a  flashlight  be- 
cause of  the  heavy  shadows  pro- 
duced by  the  overhanging  mass 
of  lava.  It  is  my  earnest  hope 
that  all  tourists,  mining  men.  en- 
gineers antl  road  builders  will 
protect  the  pictographs  wherever 
found.  They  contain  precious 
data  concerning  the  beginnings 
of  things  for  mankind  which  are 
invaluable  to  historians  in  this 
part  of  the  world. 

HOW    TO    SKK    MT.    l.VSSEX 

Begin  to  look  for  the  wonders 
wrought  by  the  far-reaching  ac- 
tivities of  Lassen  as  soon  as  you 
leave    home.      Invite    vour    soul. 


and  let  the  inner  vision  recognize 
the  beneficence  which  has  made 
California  not  a  State  but  an  em- 
pire. Realize  that  in  the  vast 
changes  caused  by  the  wreckage 
of  the  mountain  entity  you  are 
seeing  the  actual  processes  of 
wf)rld  building;  th:d  in  fliis  lo- 
cality might  have  been  \'ulcan"s 
forge;  and  that  these  mighty 
forces  are  still  at  work. 

With  the  open  mind  <>[  a  Di'. 
Diliei-,  sense  the  sui)reme  mas- 
tery of  volcanic  action  every- 
where about  you.  Appreciate 
and  understand  the  fascination 
and  interest  with  which  this 
painstaking  geologist  has  si)ent  a 
lifetime  in  research  and  study. 
Note  rock  and  mineral  forma- 
tions as  carefully  as  did  Profes- 
sor Whitney,  who  classified  and 
named  them  all.  See  with  John 
Muir  a  grasshopper  sitting  on  the 
face  of  Half  Dome  ;ui(l  content- 
edly striking  its  cymbals,  or  with 
his  love  of  Nature  trace  the  deli- 
cate markings  of  a  fern  leaf.  Vis- 
ualize the  maddening  mix-up  in 
the  underworld,  where  gnomes 
keep  watch  and  ward.  Then 
with  the  comprehensive  knowl- 
edge of  a  .lohn  Haves  llaiiiniond 


HVl    (lil.l  i\  FALLS. 


[  29   ] 


'I'  the  veins,  pockets  and  ore  beds  lavishly  poured  over  thinly  dis- 
guised surfaces,  or  cunningly  hidden  deep  down  in  the  earth. 

Resign  ytnirself  to  the  ministrations  of  the  pestiferous,  pilfering 
hluejay,  for  as  soon  as  you  reach  the  woods  this  little  feathered  police- 
man will  take  you  in  hand.  At  your  first  stop  he  will  order  you  to 
"Hike!  Hike!"  and  if  you  do  not  move  fast  enough  he  will  call  all  of 
tlie  neighbors,  and  with  their  assistance  will  abuse  you  scandalously. 
Incidentally,  you  may  see  the  descendants  of  the  Httle  chap  who, 
according  to  Mark  Twain,  found  a  miner's  cabin  with  a  hole  in  the  roof 
and  tried  hard  to  fdl  it  with  acorns.  You  will  also  observe  that  the 
descendants  have  not  learned  anything  from  that  experience.  But  with  all 
his  noise  and  chalter,  his  pugnacity  and  curiosity,  what  would  a  tour- 
ing, camping  or  hiking  trip  in  the  mountains  be  without  a  bluejay 
guide? 

At  the  five  tiiousand  foot  level  one  sees  the  last  of  bird  life,  and 
vegetation  siiows  the  effect  of  high  altitude,  nipping  air  and  short-lived 
sunlight.  With  the  wild  things  absent,  liow  silent  and  desolate  it  all 
seems ! 

With  your  first  glimpse  of  Lassen  Volcano,  do  not  wail  because  the 
peak  no  longer  impresses  with  dizzy  height.  Look  at  it  as  an  object  that 
has  been  rent  asunder  by  the  too  passionate  wooing  of  two  powerful, 
elemental  giants — heat  and  cold.  These  turbulent  spirits  of  fire  and 
frost  have  wrecked  tlie  mountain  ruthlessly,  only  that  man  may  benefit. 
See  the  burnt-out  and  spent  conditions  of  Nature's  prodigal  and  be  glad 
of  the  object  lesson.  In  the  distance  Shasta  inspires  by  its  noble  pro- 
portions and  sublime  calm;  by  its  peaceful  silence  and  profound  still- 
ness; and  by  its  superlative  beauty.  The  message  of  Lassen  is  that  of 
ever  restless,  pitiless,  ungovernable  force.  God  in  the  Heavens  uses 
both  to  convey  His  imperishable  truths  to  the  soul  of  man! 

THE  ACTIVE  VOLCANO 

Lassen  Peak  is  a  massive,  sugar-loaf  shaped  mountain,  easy  of  access 
on  three  sides,  and  not  hard  to  climb  because  of  its  broken  and  dis- 
membered condition.  The  lowest  peak — Broke-ofF  Mountain — is  but  little 
higlicr  than  the  crest  of  the  Sierras,  and  docs  not  attract  particular 
attention  in  the  general  southwest  perspective  where  it  lies.  The  entire 
cone  of  Lassen  Peak  is  two  tiiousand  feet  above  the  gentle,  sloping  lava 
plateau  which  forms  its  false  base.  The  peak  has  four  distinct  summits, 
three  of  them  prominent,  which  rise  several  hundred  feet  above  the 
depression  of  the  crater  rim.  These  summits  mark  the  ravages  of  former 
(lacite  eruptions.  Because  of  the  extreme  cold  at  the  top  of  the  peak, 
a  certain  amount  of  the  liquid  mass  has  congealed  and  built  up  these 
ugly  lips  of  the  crater  rim.  Broke-ofT  Mountain  had  no  such  experience. 
Its  thin,  watery  lavas  left  practically  no  trace  beyond  covering  a  wide 
area  with  cement,  chaik,  kaolin  and  clays,  which  will  prove  of  immense 
value  to  the  potter  and  builder. 

In  ai)proaching  the  mountain  from  any  direction,  one  finds  abundant 
evidence  of  widespread  internal  heat  and  subterranean  commotion.  In 
many  places  the  earth's  crust  has  stubbornly  refused  to  cool   off  and 

[   30   1 


there  are  I'litfural  warning  sounds  and  inlernal  smells.  A  snorting 
sulphur  spring,  a  gurgling  mud  pot,  a  spouting  geyser,  a  vent  of  hissing 
steam,  or  an  ice  cavern  keep  the  senses  on  the  alert.  The  mind  soon 
comprehends  that  Meadow,  Indian,  American  and  numberless  smaller 
valleys  as  well  as  the  tiny  lakes  are  nothing  more  than  huge  pockets  of 
lava  that  have  backed  up  and  solidified  against  the  older  mountain  side. 

Wherever  possible,  vegetation  has  crept  over  the  scarred  rock  sur- 
faces, and  the  impudent  little  grasses  are  so  close  to  the  edge  of  the 
boiling  springs  as  to  turn  a  sickly  yellow  because  of  the  heat.  It  is  not 
uncommon  to  find  the  roots  of  a  fallen  tree  holding  in  a  death-grii) 
boulders  of  erupted  rock  and  slowly  forcing  their  disintegration.  Here 
one  sees  striking  instances  of  the  ceaseless  warfare  between  the  mineral 
and  vegetable  kingdoms.  Rocks  and  plants  have  it  out  with  each  other 
for  supremacy  and  leadership  in  the  upward  spiral  of  evolution. 

High  up  on  the  southwestern  flank  of  the  fire  mountain  is  a  glacial 
crevice  which  has  scarified  the  surface  and  left  a  deep  gash  when  its 
frozen  matter  finally  yielded  to  internal  heat.  Sunk  in  five  hundred  feet 
is  Bumpass  Inferno  at  the  head  of  Los  Molinos  Creek  Canyon.  Here  the 
melted  snow  waters  below  Lake  Helen  tumble  into  a  steaming  bowl  of 
geysers,  sulphur  vents  and  lakes  of  many  colored  boiling  waters.  Masses 
of  distorted  lava  ring  the  rugged  edges.  Hemlocks  cling  to  the  surface, 
which  is  banked  by  eternal  snows.  The  entire  bottom  and  sides  of  the 
I)it  are  studded  with  enormous  steaming  mud  pots.  The  principal  geyser 
spouts  every  ten  minutes,  throwing  a  stream  of  ill-smelling  hot  water 
fully  fifty  feet  high.  The  lakes  surrounding  the  geysers  and  mud  pots 
are  purple,  green,  red  and  indigo,  while  the  overhanging  cliff's  are  red 
and  yellow  with  phantom-like  snow  bridges  arching  above  them.  The 
crevice  beginning  at  Bumpass  Inferno  is  twenty-five  miles  long  and  ends 
at  the  cliffs  four  miles  east  of  the  town  of  Red  Blufl\  where  the  stream 
of  lava  abruptly  disappears  underground. 

The  Lost  River  on  the  west  side  of  Lassen  Peak  is  a  fearsome 
reminder  of  latent  force  and  of  present  possibilities,  while  Iron  Creek 
Canyon  presents  another  enigma  of  the  earths'  agony.  The  fantastic  and 
(pieer  are  seen  in  the  Devil's  Half-Acre  on  Hat  Creek,  where  the  wind 
ripples  in  the  cooling  mass  of  this  lava  are  eternally  fixed.  A  curious 
phenomena  is  the  enveloping  shower  of  gray  rock  powder  which  is  so 
light  that  it  flies  in  all  directions  if  disturbed.  This  fine  ash  has  slipped 
in  everywhere  and  is  in  striking  contrast  to  the  crisp  rock  w'alls  upon 
which  no  living  thing  may  ever  find  a  home. 

On  a  still  day  may  be  heard  the  roar  of  innumerable  waterfalls  that 
beat  themselves  into  a  white  spray  against  the  rough,  charred  banks  of 
the  river  courses.  When  no  obscuring  haze  intervenes,  or  the  clouds  do 
not  envelop  the  crags  of  Mt.  Lassen's  kingly  domain,  a  scene  of  sur- 
passing grandeur  blends  into  the  horizon  in  every  direction. 

Prospect  Peak  near  the  northern  rim  of  the  old  crater  contains  an 
almost  perfect  cone  in  itself.  This  peak  in  unison  of  action  with 
twenty-seven  other  volcanoes  is  held  responsible  for  the  wonderful 
Modoc  Lava  Beds  which  spread  over  miles  of  territory.  The  flow  cooled 
in  undulating  waves  which  have  oxidized  at  the  crest  and  now  show 

[   32   ] 


FIKST  SHOW 


lN(i   <Jl-    SMOKE,  LASSEN   P1:AK,   MAY  Jtr,   \\\yr. 


June  If  /<iiV 

THE  FINAL  i:iUI'rU>N   IVE  U-U*  >*.'i;>>i. 


[  33   ] 


all  of  the  rich  coloring  of  a  Persian  carpet.  One  lliinks  of  lava  as  some- 
thing black  and  ugly.  Because  of  the  blended  and  fused  mineral  con- 
tents, the  lavas  of  the  Lassen  district  are  beautifully  colored. 

Cinder  Cone,  the  newest  and  strangest  formation  of  any  of  the 
erupted  matter,  is  credited  to  a  terrific  disturbance  centering  in 
Prospect  Peak.  A  fiery  hail  of  clinker  rocks  and  red-hot  bombs  was 
hurled  into  the  northern  skies.  This  was  followed  by  showers  of 
cinders,  sand  and  pumice,  which  at  the  end  of  a  long  period  built  up 
Cinder  Cone.  Time  has  covered  this  giant  ash-heap,  six  thousand  four 
hundred  feet  high,  with  a  softened  coloring  of  purple  and  brown,  while 
the  lava  beds  surrounding  it  are  red  and  yellow.  Cinder  Cone  stands 
almost  on  the  line  between  Shasta  and  Lassen  Counties  and  overlooks 
the  two  forest  gems  of  Butte  and  Snag  Lakes.  The  Cinder  Cone's  flat 
top  is  in  reality  a  double  ring  of  fire-scorched  pumice  and  volcanic 
glass  enclosing  a  deep  and  precipitous  crater. 

In  the  building  of  Cinder  Cone  a  monstrous  stream  of  thick,  viscous 
lava  rolled  out  into  Snag  Lake.  This  intrusive  mass  cut  the  lake  in  half 
and  backed  its  steaming  waters  high  over  the  old  forest.  Hundreds  of 
these  gaunt,  parboiled  tree  trunks  are  still  visible  at  varying  depths 
under  the  w'ater,  which  gives  Snag  Lake  its  characteristic  name.  The 
trees  escaping  destruction  now  form  a  scorched  and  shrunken  fringe 
on  the  farther  shores  of  this  impish  body  of  water. 

The  lava  stream  passed  through  the  bed  of  the  lake  and  divided  its 
waters  by  a  wall  of  rock  one  hundred  feet  high  and  two  miles  across. 
Some  of  the  trees  killed  at  the  time  are  still  standing  scarred  and 
spectral  in  a  bed  of  lava  which  hampers  and  prevents  the  expansion  of 
Butte  Lake.  Trees  that  have  sprouted  and  grown  to  maturity  since, 
reveal  an  age  of  two  hundred  years  in  their  telltale  rings.  Over  on  the 
eastern  shore  the  scorched  trees,  partly  pushed  over,  stick  out  of  the 
debris  and  are  still  living,  but  no  young  vegetation  has  secured  a  foot- 
hold in  this  sea  of  desolation.  The  lavas  here  are  remarkably  clean 
and  new^  looking.  In  contrast  to  the  hardened  erupted  matter  is  a 
volcanic  substance,  soft  and  white  as  flour,  which  is  piled  up  here  and 
tliere  to  a  depth  of  ten  feet. 

A  SAFE  VOLCANO 

The  even  tenor  of  mountain  dignity  and  repose  was  rudely  shaken 
when,  after  a  silence  of  centuries,  Lassen  Peak  suddenly  flared  up  on 
Decoration  Day,  1914.  During  the  first  week  a  small  boy  breathlessly 
informed  his  teacher  that  the  mountain  was  "interrupting  again,"  and 
the  whole  school  rushed  out  of  doors  to  see  the  spectacle.  Since  then, 
adjacent  communities  have  accepted  Lassen's  antics  as  a  part  of  the 
day's  doings,  but  are  keenly  interested  in  each  performance.  Now  one 
is  ([uite  sure  that  these  affairs  are  entirely  harmless.  Lassen  Peak  is  an 
empty  shell  and  there  are  no  habitations  near  enough  to  be  in  danger 
from  an  eruption  even  if  lava  did  run  down  its  slopes.  There  is  no  real 
risk  in  climbing  the  peak  unless  curiosity  leads  the  unthinking  too  far 
down  into  the  craters  or  too  near  a  fissure.  On  the  evening  of  Septem- 
ber 29,  1914,  a  particularly  severe  explosive  eruption   demolished  the 

[   34   ] 


lookout  house  maintained  by  the  Forest  Service  Commission  hi^li  up 
on  Lassen  Peak  and  very  near  the  edge  of  the  newly-opened  crater.  The 
board  shack  was  literally  shot  to  pieces  by  the  red-hfjt  rocks  hitlinH  it 
on  all  sides.  The  house  was  also  knocked  of!"  its  ffuindation  and  left 
standing  at  an  inip()ssil)le  angle  and  wholly  unlit  for  use.  On  this  occa- 
sion large  luminous  bodies  were  hurled  into  the  air,  making  a  spec- 
tacular and  luritl  night  illumination  of  the  cnlire  crater. 

Although  llicrc  is  an  ollicial  record  ol"  one  hundred  and  thirty-two 
eruptions  of  Lassen  Peak  for  the  years  1914-1;'),  there  are  many  mislead- 
ing apparitions  over  the  jagged  tops  of  the  craters  which  closel> 
resemble  an  eruption  but  which  are  the  drifting  clouds  sucked  into  the 
open  spaces  and  taking  on  all  the  changing  colors  of  a  rainbow.  This 
illusion  is  indescribably  beautiful  when  it  occurs  at  sunrise,  and  the 
prismatic  colorings  of  the  passing  dawn  clouds  make  the  peak  a  moun- 
tain of  moods  and  mistiness.  In  the  early  springtime,  when  the  Sacra- 
mento Valley  is  a  mass  of  pink  almond  blossoms,  the  blue  haze  hanging 
over  the  distant  peak  and  the  lleecy  white  clouds  overhead  complete  a 
picture  of  sheer  loveliness.  At  sunset,  when  the  mantle  of  snow  glows  a 
soft,  warm  red,  the  peak  is  not  unlike  a  huge  ice-cream  cone. 

Seen  at  a  distance,  the  volcanco  lures  and  intrigues  the  imagination. 
Nearby  it  frowns  and  threatens  by  its  gray  coldness  and  its  crisped  and 
seared  walls.  Even  then  it  does  not  inspire  fear.  In  eruption  there  is 
no  motion,  no  noise,  except  on  rare  occasions.  Usually  the  gas,  steam 
and  ashes  go  up  like  a  shot,  hang  motionless  like  a  jdiotographer's  flash- 
light, then  slowly  disintegrate.  The  steam  and  gas  convolute  and  nnngle 
with  the  cold  upper  air  strata,  while  the  ash  drops  bark  into  the 
crater  or  is  blown  about  by  the  wind.  If  the  current  is  stnmg,  the  asli 
is  deposited  miles  away,  as  it  is  very  light  and  of  very  fine  texture. 

HUMAN  INTEREST  FEATURES 

There  is  no  story  of  Indian  fighting  more  compelling  than  that  of 
the  Modoc  War  of  1872-3.  For  ages  the  Modocs,  an  intelligent  and  war- 
like tribe,  had  made  their  home  around  the  shores  of  Tule  Lake.  Their 
hereditary  enemies,  the  Klamaths,  lived  nearby.  Hoth  tribes  resented 
the  intrusion  of  the  miner  and  homesteader.  What  happened  is  the  old 
story  of  white  treachery  when  one  Ben  Wright  attempted  to  poison 
forty  Modoc  braves  at  a  feast  given  to  talk  over  their  opposing  interests. 
After  that,  it  was  a  blood  feud.  Indians  exact  an  eye  for  an  eye,  and 
soon  the  settlers  were  in  trouble.  In  the  great  treaty  of  1804.  an 
amicable  agreement  was  reached  with  all  the  Indians  far  and  near,  but 
Congress  delayed  ratification  for  five  years,  and  then  the  Modocs 
claimed  that  their  portion  of  it  had  been  changed. 

They  unwillingh  went  to  live  on  the  Klamath  Heseivation.  Sht>rl- 
ness  of  rations  entailed  considerable  hardshii)s  and  finally  Captain 
Jack,  a  young  Modoc  chief,  left  the  reservation  with  aliout  one  hundred 
and  fifty  followers,  who  secreted  themselves  within  the  lava  beds  and 
began  depredations  against  the  whites.  All  efforts  to  induce  them  to 
return  to  the  reservation  failed.  Troops  were  sent  against  them  and  on 
January   17,   187.3,   a   sanguinary  battle   was   Huight.   I.ieutenanl-('olonel 

[  35   ] 


GENERAL  VIEW,  BOILING  LAKE. 

Frank  Wheaton  commanded  four  hundred  men,  while  Captain  Jack  had 
fifty-two  braves.  In  his  report  to  the  War  Department,  Colonel  Wheaton 
said: 

"The  enemy's  position  was  an  inaccessible  ridge  flanked  cast  and 
west  by  deep  ravines,  fissures  and  boulder  mass,  eight  miles  wide  by 
twenty-two  miles  long.  The  boulders  ranged  in  size  from  a  matchbox 
to  a  church.  Captain  Jack's  stronghold  was  in  the  center  of  miles  of 
rocks,  fissures,  caves,  crevices,  gorges  and  ravines — some  fully  one 
hundred  feet  deep.  In  my  twenty-three  years  of  service,  mostly  fighting 
Imlians,  I  have  never  before  encountered  an  enemy,  civilized  or  savage, 
occupying  a  position  of  such  natural  strength  as  the  Modoc  stronghold. 
Nor  have  I  ever  seen  troops  engage  a  better  armed  or  more  skillful  foe." 

Our  men  were  moving  at  4:00  a.  m.  The  fight  began  at  8:00  a.  m. 
and  continued  until  10:30  p.  m.,  when  the  troops  were  ordered  to  camp 
lifteen  miles  away.  They  had  fought  all  day  without  seeing  an  Indian! 
Little  puffs  of  smoke  through  a  hole  in  the  lava  was  all  they  had  to 
guide  their  attack.  Added  to  the  difficulties  was  a  fog  so  dense  that  the 
men  east,  south  and  west  could  not  communicate.  It  was  bitter  cold, 
and  they  were  without  rations,  overcoats  or  blankets.  Because  of  the 
incredibly  rough  lava  surfaces  the  men  were  obliged  to  advance  crawl- 
ing on  their  hands  and  knees.  It  was  utterly  impossible  to  recover  the 
dead,  and  they  had  great  difficulty  in  removing  the  wounded. 

In  the  face   of  this  complete  rout,  the  authorities  in  Washington 


A  Sl'Un  i:UING  MLD  POT,  NEAR  KOILING  LAKE. 


[  30  ] 


ordered      a      peace 
parley.       For     this 
purpose    Brij^adier- 
General  Edward  H. 
S.    C  a  n  b  y  ,    com- 
manding    the     De- 
partment of  Colum- 
bia,    was     ordered 
from    Portland, 
Oregon,    to    go    in 
person   with   A.   B. 
Meacham,  Superin- 
tendent Indian  Af- 
fairs     in      Oregon, 
and    the     Rev.    E. 
Thomas,    as    peace 
commissioners      to 
try    to    induce    the 
rebellious     Modocs 
to   go   back  to   the 
reservation  at  Kla- 
math.     Unmindful 
of  the  warnings  of 
the  Indian  interpre- 
ters,  who    had    ar- 
ranged    the     meet- 
ing,    the     commis- 
sioners    met     Cap- 
tain   Jack   and    his 
sub-chiefs     at     an 
agreed    spot.      Sud- 
denly in  the  midst 
of  the  parley   Cap- 
tain   Jack    stepped 
up  in  front  of  Brig- 
adier-General   Can- 
by    and    shot    him 
dead.       The     Rev. 
Thomas  was  killed 
also.    Mr.  Meacham 
"was   badly   wound- 
ed. 

Desultory  light- 
ing continued  un- 
til Captain  Jack 
was  captured,  June 
1,  1873.  Standing 
trial  for  his  life  at 
Fort  Klamath,  July 
1,  1873,  he  declared 
that    he    had    been 

[   37   ] 


SNOW   ON   THK  LlTTl.K   SIVX.  Dl.VH.S   KlTCHl.N. 


2744S0 


HOT   AM)   (,()L1)   \VA'li:i{; 
DEVII.'S  KITCHEN. 

(lone  to  (Iciitli  by  tlie  treachery 
ol"  his  own  men.  He  was  not  and 
could  not  have  been  captured  by 
the  white  soldiers.  (Captain  .lack 
and  other  implicated  Indians 
were  hanged  at  Fort  Klamath, 
October  .3,  1873.  All  that  was 
left  of  his  outlaw  band  was  re- 
moved to  Quapaw,  Oklahoma, 
where  they  were  kept  on  a  leser- 
vation. 

'I'he  cavern  in  the  lava  beds, 
known  as  "('aptain  .lack's  Strong- 
hold," still  has  a  bad  name. 
Neither  wliites  nor  Indians  ven- 
tured near  il  for  a  long  time 
after  the  Modoc  War.  It  is  in- 
teresting to  recall  that  both  Pres- 
ident U.  S.  Grant  and  (ieneral 
Sherman,  then  Secretary  of  War, 
had  fought  Indians  in  the  West. 
Botti  knew  by  experience  the 
hardships  entailed  upon  brave 
oflicers  and  men  by  the  rascally 
conduct      ol'      whiti'      men      who 


preyed     upon     unoffending     set- 
tlers  and   Indians  alike. 

FAHMKRS  AND  MINEHS  WAU 

The  same  generation  that 
fought  the  Indians  found  them- 
selves lined  up  in  opposition  to 
each  other  when  the  miners  in 
the  Sierras  began  hydraulic  op- 
erations. The  Hoods  of  the  water 
used  in  washing  out  the  ancient 
river  beds  poured  into  the  Sac- 
ramento Valley  and  River  im- 
mense ((uantities  of  sand,  gravel 
and  rocks.  This  debris  was  run 
through  flumes  down  over  fields, 
vineyards  and  orchards,  leaving 
white  sandy  wastes  which  often 
reached  the  tops  of  full-grown 
trees.  Where  vines  or  grain  had 
grown  there  was  nothing  to  in- 
dicate that  under  the  artificial 
desert  there  was  land  capable  of 
yielding  rich  harvests.  A  wilder- 
ness of  desolation  lay  broadcast, 
whenever  mountain  sides  had 
been  swept  down  by  the  mighty 


CORNER  OF  ROILING  LAKE. 

[   38   ] 


l.NSIDl';   (.nATlvK.   C.lMM.Ii    (.(JM.;    I'.A.SAI.TK;   (.I.ASS    1  OI  ;  M  A  1  1(,.\  . 

hydraulic  nozzle  of  jjiacer  gold  mining.  All  of  the  debris  did  md  settle 
on  the  land.  Much  of  it  ran  into  the  Sacramento  Hiver,  turning  it  into 
a  muddy  stream,  filling  up  its  channels  and  causing  it  to  oveillow  its 
shallow  banks  and  inundate  a  wide  area  of  cultivated  land.  So  thick 
and  turgid  were  its  waters  that  it  was  a  common  saying  tliat  ;it'lir  drink- 
ing a  full  glass  one  needed  to  be  dredged. 

For  years  the  valley  mer.  stormed,  threatened  and  petilioneil  fur 
relief.  But  mining  interests  were  hacked  by  the  early  lraditir)ns  :ind 
romance  of  an  industry  that  had  made  the  State  rich  and  famous. 
Finally,  an  amicable  agreement  was  reached  through  the  good  ollices  id" 
a  Debris  Commission  composed  of  distinterested  jiarlies.  and  now  the 
mines  and  farms  in  tlie  outskirts  of  the  I.assen  cniintrN  flourish  side  by 
side — each  fully  pi'otected  in  its  own  rights. 

Ai'i'uoA(:ni:s  TO  i,\ssi:x  im:ak 

From  the  car  windows  of  Ihe  Southern  I'acilic  Hailroad  s  Sh.ista 
Route,  Lassen  Peak  may  he  seen  at  a  distance  ol"  some  fortx    nuies  easf- 


(   l\|i|   i;    (  (i\l    ;     \N     \s|l    111  Al'   i>. 111(1    111    I     llli.il. 


[   -M)    ] 


ward  from  the  towns  of  Red  Blufl\  ('ottonwood,  Anderson  and  Redding. 
There  is  an  aiitoniohiie  service  from  Red  Blulf  to  J\h)rgark  Springs,  and 
from  Redding  to  Manzanita  Lake.  There  is  also  an  automobile  stage 
from  Susanville  to  Drakesbad,  seven  miles  from  the  southern  base  of 
the  volcano.  A  shorter  auto  trip  is  from  Westwood,  twenty-five  miles 
from  Drakesbad.  Westwood  is  a  terminal  of  the  California-Nevada  line 
of  the  Southern  Pacific.  Excellent  accommodations  can  be  had  all  along 
these  lines  and  in  many  other  places  known  to  the  automobile  associa- 
tions and  private  individuals.  The  Western  Pacific  Railroad  goes 
through  the  picturesque  Feather  River  Canyon,  and  from  Keddie  or 
Doyle  it  is  possible  to  motor  to  the  base  of  Lassen  Peak. 

Because  of  the  extraordinary  lava-contorted  land  surfaces  over  which 
il  must  run,  the  Red  BlufT-Susanville  lateral  highway  is  being  built  with 
convict  labor.  This  road  will  pass  close  to  Lassen  Peak  through  a  depres- 
sion in  the  Sierras  which  makes  the  elevation  only  about  five  thousand 
feet.  When  completed,  this  pass  will  be  open  at  all  times,  and  it  will 
be  possible  to  see  the  volcano  in  its  winter  mantle  of  snow.  During  the 
summer  months  the  crater  is  often  quite  bare  because  of  the  intense 
internal  heat. 

A  late  project  is  the  Mt.  Lassen-Columbia  River  Highway,  which  will 
lead  from  San  Francisco  to  Red  Bluff,  thence  over  the  State  Highway 
lateral  to  Susanville  and  Lassen  Peak;  north  to  Alturas,  continuing  via 
Goose  Lake  to  The  Dalles  on  the  upper  scenic  reaches  of  the  Columbia 
River.  From  there  the  road  goes  over  into  W^ashington,  comes  back 
tlu'ough  Oregon,  touching  at  Crater  Lake,  on  down  through  the  Sacra- 
mento Canyon  to  Castle  Crags  and  Mt.  Shasta.  Alternative  routes  will  be 
from  Susanville  to  Reno  or  to  Yreka  over  the  Klamath  Road  to  the  Red- 
wood Forests  or  through  Wcaverville  to  tlie  Coast, 

All  of  the  projected  lateral  highways  from  Oregon  and  Nevada  center 
at  Susanville,  over  on  the  east  side  of  Lassen  Peak,  and  fifty-five  miles 
away.  Four  laterals  lead  out  from  Red  Bluff  and  the  southwest  while 
still  other  short-cuts  converge  from  various  California  angles,  thus  pro- 
viding many  ai^proaches  to  this  matchless  Switzerland  of  America.  Even 
now  it  is  not  diflicult  to  reach  the  mountain  from  any  direction,  whether 
by  footpaths  with  pack  animals  and  camping  outfits,  or  by  vehicle  over 
the  fairly  good  wagon  roads.  The  question  of  personal  comfort  need 
not  deter  the  Nature  lover  from  an  incursion  into  the  realm  of  Mt. 
Lassen's  volcanic  kingship. 

ROADWAYS  AND  TRAILS 

Development  of  the  Lassen  Volcanic  National  Park,  so  far  as  the 
Government  is  concerned,  will  consist  of  road  construction  within  the 
park,  fire  protection  measures,  signal  roads  and  trails  and  safety  warn- 
ings. The  Lassen  Volcanic  National  Park  Association  is  urging  Congress 
to  appropriate  sums  aggregating  seven  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dol- 
lars to  be  used  in  building  a  seventy-mile  belt  line  of  roads  around  the 
base  of  Lassen  Peak.  This  loop  highway  will  circle  the  inside  of  the 
l^ark  and  connect  all  points  of  interest,  so  that  a  traveler  may  see  them 
at  his  ease.    Once  the  belt  line  is  coDiplete  the  area  accessible  will  be 

[   40   ] 


I 


^m 


THE  LAVA   FLOWS  1-IU)M   CINDLU   (UNL. 


LAKE  ENCHANTMENT,  WITH  TKUHAC  I'.  OK  CINDl-U  COM;  I  AVAS  ON   LKIT. 

r  11  1 


greater  thmi  tlie  Yoseniite  I'ark  reiiion.  ;in<l  will  he  the  novelty  scenic 
leatiire  of  the  State. 

Lateral  hii»h\vay.s  tonnectiiii^  with  the  looj)  line  on  all  sides  are  of 
State  and  county  conslriiction,  the  i)lan  heing  to  make  it  possible  for 
(he  sightseer  lo  visit  Lake  J'ahoe,  Yoseniite  Valley  and  Lassen  Peak  on 
well-built  automobile  roads.  Where  the  elevation  and  topography  makes 
an  auto  road  an  impossibility,  well-delined  trails  ^vill  be  found.  Some 
of  these  have  been  opened  and  maintained  by  the  Forest  Service  Fire 
Patrol,  while  others  are  being  built  because  of  their  i)ictures(|ue  views 
or  easy  access  to  the  volcanic  peak. 

These  various  trails  I'roni  liie  Hed  Blulf-Sunsanville  lateral  apj^roaches 
and  from  the  Redding  approach  to  the  ^huizanita  portal  of  the  park  will 
converge  for  the  final  climb  on  the  southerly  and  southeasterly  base  ol' 
the  peak.  This  trail  leads  on  easy  grade  up  a  crystal  mountain  stream, 
with  open  glades  and  meadows  fringed  with  aspen  and  the  lodge-pole 
pine,  while  the  mountain  sides  are  forested  with  yellow  i)ine  and  fir 
until  the  snow  line  is  reached. 

Los  Molinos  Creek  is  most  easily  accessible  from  Battle  Creek 
Meadows  or  Morgan  Springs  on  the  Red  BlufT-Susanville  Highway 
lateral.  About  one  mile  within  the  boundaries  of  the  park,  and  near  the 
Mineral  Forest  Trail  to  the  peak,  the  old'  sulphur  works  marks  an  inter- 
esting region.  Thermal  sulphur  springs  are  present  here,  and  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  one  of  the  largest  soda  springs  of  the  park  may  be 
visited.  At  a  point  about  Iialf  a  mile  north  of  the  old  sulphur  works. 
and  at  a  higher  elevation,  a  geyser  of  considerable  force  is  active,  witii 
evidences  that  its  play  at  one  period  must  have  been  very  great.  Boiling 
water  is  forced  to  a  height  of  several  feet  above  the  vent,  and  the  hissing 
of  escaping  steam  that  is  carried  to  a  height  of  seventy-five  feet  or  more 
can  he  heard  for  a  ([uarter  of  a  mile. 

Near  Mineral,  the  summer  headquarters  of  Lassen  Forest  Fire  Patrol, 
eight  miles  of  approach  road  toward  the  southern  boundary  of  the  park 
has  been  constructed.  This  approach  reaches  the  boundary  of  the  i)ark 
proi)er  in  the  vicinity  of  the  old  sulphur  works  on  Los  Molinos  Creek. 
From  this  point  the  old  forest  trail  is  used  in  negotiating  the  ascent  to 
the  summit — a  total  distance  from  the  State  Highway  of  approximately 
seventeen  miles. 

On  this  trail  there  are  many  points  of  interest,  particularly  the  area 
of  Los  Molinos  (^reek,  and  the  weird  Rumpass  Inferno,  on  a  bypath 
about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  main  trail.  The  trail  itself  skirts  Lake 
Helen,  situated  at  an  elevation  of  about  eight  thousand  feet  above  sea 
level  and  covered  with  ice  until  late  in  the  summer,  but  when  once 
revealed  it  is  the  color  gem  of  the  park.  This  lake  occupies  an  extinct 
crater,  the  remains  of  the  ancient  rim  forming  a  crescent  around  its 
shores.  Its  deep  azure  hue,  as  viewed  from  the  surrounding  dill's,  sug- 
gests a  replica  in  color  of  the  famous  Crater  Lake  of  Oregon.  From  this 
point  the  final  clind)  begins,  an  additional  half-mile  of  altitude  to  the 
crater  and  its  highest  peak. 

[   42    ] 


I  UK  MANZANTIA   I'OHIAI. 


From  tlu'  Soiitlieni  Facilic  Hiiilrojid  and  tlu-  i'acific  Hif<h\va.\  at  IU-<|- 
(lin,^  the  old  pioneer  road  over  tlie  Sliin^lelown  l-drcst  IMaleaii  to  Maii- 
zanita  I>ake  is  beini^  developed  into  a  hcaulirni  di-jvc. 

Starting  willi  tiie  inoiintaiii  in  liill  \ie\v,  Hanked  on  li)e  riylit  hy  llie 
skyline  range  to  Broke-oil'  Moutain  and  on  the  left  by  the  rugged  Chaos 
(j'ags,  the  wonderful  horizon  of  the  I.assen  region  makes  its  ap|)eal.  l"or 
a  short  distance  the  view  is  screened  by  the  terraced  lavas  of  the  foot- 
hills which  mark  the  edge  of  the  how  and  the  forest  area  giowing 
denser  and  more  varied  as  moderate  altitude  is  attained.  The  gr;nlual 
climb  to  the  higher  elevations  over  an  easy  grade  is  fre(iuentl\  cMlivcncd 
by  the  magnificent  vistas  of  the  f)b.jective  mountain   sceiicrN . 

-Manzanita  Lake  is  at  an  elevation  of  lifty-seven  hundred  feel  above 
sea  level  and  only  three  and  three-(iuarters  miles  in  aii-  line  from  tlie 
summit.  Nearby,  Lake  Reflection,  nestling  at  the  base  of  (Ihaos  Crags. 
oilers  a  magnificent  starting  point  for  many  side  trips  into  the  park. 
For  the  final  clind)  there  is  an  insi)iring  i)anorama  of  Lassen  iVak, 
flanked  b>-  majestic  lesser  ])eaks  and  crags  always  in  view. 

An  easy  grade  will  make  it  i)()ssible  to  extiMid  llu'  present  auhinmijile 
road  from  the  lakes  to  a  glacial  terrace  at  the  head  of  Manzanita  Creek, 
a  distance  of  five  miles,  l^'rom  this  i)oint,  a  mountain  stream  gushes  out 
from  the  base  of  a  lava  cliff  rising  in  terraced  grandeur  like  a  great 
wall  to  a  height  of  a  (piarter  of  a  mile  and  more.  A  bridle  trail  is  to  be 
constructetl  which  will  make  it  possible  to  attain  a  point  only  one-third 
of  a  mile  below  the  peak  on  its  southeasteiiy  exposure.  In  connection 
with  the  approach  development  from  the  cit\-  of  Ridding  and  tlie 
Pacific  Highway  to  the  Manzanita  portal  of  Ilie  |)ark.  a  rustic  caiiip  \\  itii 
excellent  accommodations  and  sanitary  conditions  will  be  built  at  Man- 
anita  Lake  and  Lake  Reflection,  at  the  base  of  Chaos  Crags  and  Lassen 
Peak. 

THK  FKATHKU  lUVKU    VPl'HOACH 

l-'rom  Chester,  on  the  State  llighwa\  lateral  situated  near  the  north- 
erly shore  line  of  Lake  Almanor,  eigiiteen  miles  of  approach  r(»a<l  by 
way  of  Warner  \'alle>-  has  its  terminus  for  auto  tra\el  al  Drakeshad. 
near  the  southeasterl\    extremitx    (>!'  the  i)ark. 

Jn  Wainer  \'alie\  and  from  i)rakesl)ad  mounts  ma>  hi'  seeui-ed  I" 
negotiate  the  final  eigiil  miles  of  trail  leading  fo  the  summit,  i'roin  here, 
too.  the  geyser  area  of  the  Devil's  Kitchen  and  the  marvelous  Hoilini: 
Lake  are  readily  accessible,  and  because  of  these  i)oinls  of  natural  inter- 
est, this  api)roach  has  long  enjo>ed  great  i)oiiularit\ . 

At  Chester,  near  Lake  Almanor,  and  al  Forest  Camp,  near  Cireenville. 
in  the  ui)per  Feather  River  country,  visitors  ma\  find  accouunodations 
within  easy  access  of  the  park,  ami  thi'  same  is  true  of  Warner  Valley, 
at  Lee's  and  Kelley's,  near  the  hound;.!  y  of  the  park,  and  al  hrakeshad. 
within  the  park  confines. 
[   43   1 


PETER  LASSEN 
Portrait  in  Oils,  Masonic  Temple,  San  Francisco, 
Property  of  Grand  Lodge.  Original  reproduction. 


LIFE  OF  PETER  LASSEN 

A  Pioneer  of    1841 
The  Cecil  Rhodes  of   Upper  California 

ETER  LASSI-IX,  jil'tt'i-  wliom  Califoniiir.s  volcano,  jn-ak  and 
mountain  were  named,  was  born  Aiif,'ust  7,  1701,  in  Copen- 
hagen, Denmark.  TJie  Lassen  family  were  of  Danish  origin, 
ranking  high  in  the  olden  days  of  Denmark.  An  unfje  of 
Peter  Eassen  was  over-auditor  to  one  of  the  kings  of  Den- 
mark, lived  in  his  own  castle  and  was  the  father  of  a  large 
family.  This  relative  came  to  the  United  States  in  the  early  fifties, 
settling  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  where  many  of  his  descendants  have 
become  prosperous  American  citizens.  He  broui:ht  over  with  liini  from 
Denmark  huge  chests  containing  gold  and  silver  coins,  amounting  to 
half  a  million  dollars,  so  he  was  probably  at  that  time  possessed  of  a 
greater  sum  of  actual  coin  than  was  any  other  person  in  this  country. 

Peter  Lassen  came  to  tiie  United  States  at  the  age  of  twenty-nine, 
going  direct  to  Boston,  Massachusetts.  Later  he  went  to  Katesville, 
Missouri,  temporarily  engaging  in  farming.  The  fever  of  e.\plf)iation 
possessed  him.  He  formed  a  military  company  in  1838  and  in  tin- 
spring  of  1839  left  Katesville  with  twelve  others  to  cross  the  plains  to 
Oregon.  Enroute  they  met  and  joined  a  parly  of  trappers  operating  for 
the  American  Fur  Company.  This  increased  their  number  to  twenty- 
seven,  who  traveled  together  until  they  reached  Oregon  City,  where 
they  disbanded. 

Lassen's  company,  reduced  to  seven  men,  conchuled  to  go  to  Califor- 
nia, taking  passage  on  a  vessel,  the  "Lespana,"  which  had  arrived  from 
England.  The  voyage  proved  a  stormy  one.  Twice  they  faced  being 
shipwrecked,  but  finalh  arrived  at  Verba  Huena,  now  San  I-iancisin. 

Peter  Lassen  went  to  San  Jose  in  the  spring  of  1811.  Later  in-  went 
to  Santa  Cruz,  purciiascd  some  land  in  that  sectiori,  built  and  success- 
fully operated  a  sawmill,  the  iirsl  one  {here.  After  cutting  lifty  thousand 
feet  of  lumber  he  sold  his  ranch  anil  mill  to  Captain  Ciraham,  taking 
one  hundred  mules  in  payment.  In  1812  he  drove  the  nuiUs  up  to 
Sutter's  Fort,  now  Sacramento,  and  ranched  them,  icmaining  with 
General  Sutter.  Later  he  and  John  Bidwell  i)ursne(l  a  party  of  emi- 
grants on  their  way  to  Oregon,  overtaking  them  at  lU d  HlulV  and  regain- 
ing many  stolen  animals. 

At  that  time  the  upper  pnrt  c\'  the  Sacranunlo  \aliey  was  wild  and 
unsettled.  Peter  Lassen  became  greatly  enamored  with  the  country, 
finding  it  both  beautiful  and  productive.  All  kinds  of  vegetation  were 
prolific.    Elk,  antelope  and  wild  game  of  various  kinds  were  plentitul. 

Being  a  man  of  gieat  vision  and  possessing  higli  asjiirafions.  ho 
saw  before  him  an  ideal  spot  to  ft)und  a  huge  colonx .  ;ind  fortluvith 
selected  a  tract  of  land,  applying  to  Governor  Miclultorena  for  a  grant 
of  it,  which  was  awarded  him. 

In  those  times  this  was  Mexican  territory  anti  tiie  grant  issued  was 
[  45   ] 


under  tlie  seal  of  Mexico,  signed  by  Mirhellorena,  tlien  the  doveinor 
ol'  C.alifornia.  wliieli  grant  was  subseciuently  confirmed  by  the  Supreme 
(]ourt  ol'  the  I'nited  Stales.  I'eter  Lassen  called  lliis  grant  "Bos(|ue jo," 
whicli  means  "a  wooded  place."  Micheltorena  ^\as  a  man  of  refined 
tastes,  and  somewhat  of  a  sentimentalist.  He  had  a  s>  mjiathetic  appre- 
ciation of  I'eter  Lassen's  love  of  the  moimtains,  and  was  pleased  with 
the  name  selected  because  it  distinguished  that  grant  from  those  in  tiic 
unwooded  valle>s.  The  land  was  siluateti  on  Deer  (".reeiv  urn]  comprised 
the  greater  part  of  Tehama  (>)unt> . 

In  ]<S4.'i  Peter  Lassen  moved  to  Deer  (".reek,  taking  a  white  man  witl> 
him.  but  on  account  of  the  lonely  life  his  companion  deserted,  I'or 
some  time  thereafter  Peter  Lassen  lived  in  perfect  safety  among  hun- 
dreds of  Indians.  Although  i)ossessing  several  hundred  head  of  stock, 
he  was  uever  molested  by  any  of  the  Indians.  All  the  labor,  the  build- 
ing of  liis  house  and  cultivation  of  his  land  was  done  by  the  natives. 

On  the  south  side  of  Deer  Creek,  in  1845,  he  laiil  out  a  townsife. 
calling  it  "Benton  City,"  in  honor  of  his  friend  Thomas  Benton,  Senator 
from  Missouri,  whose  daughter,  Jessie  Benton,  married  General  John  C. 
Fremont.  The  town  of  Benton  was  also  know^n  as  "Lassen's  Banch" 
and  it  became  the  most  important  trading  station  in  Northern  Clalifor- 
nia.  By  an  unlucky  set  of  circumstances  the  little  town  failed  to  succeed 
and  finally  tho  land  on  which  it  stood  slipped  into  the  Sacramento 
Bivcr! 

In  the  spring  of  1840  General  Fremont,  with  fifty  of  his  men, 
remained  there  for  three  weeks.  A  week  after  his  departure.  Lieutenant 
Gillespie,  U.  S.  N.,  arrived  at  Lassen's  Ranch  with  dispatches  for  Fre- 
mont. Our  pioneer,  with  five  other  men  and  Gillespie,  started  to  over- 
take Fremont.  Two  of  Lassen's  men  had  been  sent  on  ahead  to  inform 
the  General  that  an  oflicer  was  on  his  trail  with  dispatches  from  the 
Government  and  unless  he  received  immediate  assistance  would  be 
killed  by  the  Indians.  Fremont  and  his  men  started  back  at  once, 
riding  sixty  miles  that  day.  At  sundown  (iillespie  rode  into  their  camp 
near  Klamath  Lake.  Tiiat  night  the  Indians  attacked  them  but  were 
repulsed, 

'Jhe  Indians  witliout  doubt  would  have  killed  (iillespie  and  his  party 
had  he  not  found  Fremont  that  night.  The  General  would  have  gone  on 
to  Oregon,  and  the  history  of  the  United  States  might  have  been 
changed.  After  this  a  stronger  tie  cemented  the  friendship  of  General 
L'rcmont  and  Peter  Lassen. 

luul\  in  1840  b'remont  went  over  to  Old  Sonoma  and  hoisted  the 
Bear  Flag,  thus  formalh'  announcing  secession  from  Mexico  and  making 
California  a  republic. 

In  1847  we  iind  our  rugged  wanderer  crossing  the  plains  with 
Commodore  Stockton  to  Missouri  purposely  to  get  emigrants  to  come 
out  with  him  and  settle  on  his  land,  and  to  obtain  a  charter  for  a 
Masonic  lodge  to  be  established  at  Benton  City.  He  returned  with  the 
emigrants  over  the  Lassen  Trail,  bringing  witli  him  the  first  Masonic 
charter  into  California.    This  charter  hangs  in  the  lodge  room  at  Shasta 

[     !0    ] 


California.  It  was  granted  by  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Missouri,  May  10, 
1848,  making  Peter  Lassen  junior  warden,  under  whicli,  in  1849,  the 
"first  Masonic  Lodge  in  California"  was  organized  at  the  Lassen  Ranch, 
and  was  known  as  Western  Star  Lodge,  No,  98. 

In  1848  gold  was  discovered,  bringing  in  184!)  such  a  tide  of  emi- 
grants to  California  that  Lassen  saw  a  great  demand  for  the  necessaries 
of  life  which  could  not  then  be  obtained  in  that  part  of  the  country. 
A  brilliant  commercial  idea  possessed  him.  Nature's  great  artery  of 
commerce  caught  his  eye.  The  mines  had  yielded  up  their  treasures  to 
him  most  bountifully.  He  gathered  up  his  gold,  disposed  of  one-half 
of  his  great  ranch,  leaving  the  other  half  in  the  care  of  others,  and 
started  for  San  Francisco  to  purchase  a  stern-wheel  steamboat.  A  small 
craft,  the  "Lady  Washington,"  seduced  Peter  Lassen!  He  purchased 
her  at  an  enormous  price. 

In  the  spring  of  1850  she  was  loaded  with  goods  and  started  upon 
her  journey  up  the  Sacramento  River,  The  "Lady  Washington"  was  the 
first  steamer  to  make  the  trip  from  Sacramento  City  to  Red  Bluff,  She 
was  about  five  months  reaching  the  mouth  of  Deer  Creek  and  proved 
anything  but  a  profitable  enterprise.  Her  owner  not  only  lost  part  of 
his  splendid  ranch,  but  most  of  his  belongings  were  taken  or  stolen 
from  him.  Thus  was  his  dream  of  an  empire  in  that  part  of  California 
rudely  shattered  by  what  we  mortals  call  Fate. 

Nevertheless  his  memory  lives  and  will  live  forever  in  the  pages  of 
California  history.  He  was  the  true,  sturdy  Viking  who  blazed  a  more 
secure  trail  (than  did  the  unfortunate  Donner  party)  for  the  traveler 
to  "the  land  of  gold."  His  crowning  success  is  having  his  name  immor- 
talized by  that  lofty,  stern  and  rugged  peak  which  joins  the  Sierra 
Nevadas  and  Cascade  mountain  ranges.  As  the  "Lady  Washington"  was 
the  first  steamer  that  ever  sailed  on  the  upper  Sacramento  River,  its 
voyage  is  important  as  a  matter  of  history. 

The  celebrated  Lassen  Trail  was  traveled  over  as  early  as  1843. 
Peter  Lassen  was  on  his  ranch  near  the  mouth  of  Deer  Creek,  on  the 
Sacramento  River,  in  1843,  thus  indicating  that  he  must  have  follov»^ed 
the  Oregon  Trail  to  some  point  in  Wyoming  or  Idaho.  Then  he  made  a 
cut-off  through  Northern  Nevada. 

Mr.  L.  L.  McCoy,  a  well-known  pioneer  of  Tehania  County,  gives  the 
following  minute  description  of  the  Peter  Lassen  Trail,  over  which  a 
considerable  number  of  emigrants  undertook  to  shorten  their  journey 
overland  in  1850.    Mr.  McCoy  says: 

"The  old  Lassen  Trail  entered  from  Northwestern  Nevada  through 
Surprise  Valley  in  Modoc  County  to  the  Lassen  Ranch  at  Vina,  Tehama 
County.  The  trail  crossed  Surprise  Valley  near  Fort  Bidwell,  then  bore 
south  around  the  south  end  of  Goose  Lake,  which  is  at  the  head  of  Pit 
River;  then  swung  to  west  a  few  miles  over  lava  beds;  then  south,  and 
struck  Pit  River  near  what  is  called  Stone  Cole  Valley,  some  ten  miles 
below  Alturas;  followed  down  Pit  River  to  upper  end  of  Big  Valley; 
finally  crossed  Pit  River  to  the  east  side  and  to  the  east  side  of  Big 
Valley  at  its  lower  end  (this  point  being  in  Lassen  County)  and  some 
four  miles  south  of  Richer.  The  trail  then  took  over  the  hill  to  Dixie 
Valley  (Lassen  County). 

[  48  ] 


"It  crossed  Dixie  Vsilley,  then  over  a  wootled  hill  for  some  five 
miles  and  came  to  what  is  known  as  Lassen  Springs,  in  a  little  valley 
now  owned  by  the  Cole  family  and  generally  known  as  Cole's  Head- 
(luarters,  where  they  have  run  sheep  for  fifty  years. 

"From  Lassen  Springs  or  Cole's  Headquarters  flu-  trail  swung  around 
to  the  west  of  a  big  mountain  to  I'ine  (^reek,  at  what  is  knctwn  as  the 
upper  end  of  Pine  Oeek  Meadinvs.  (I'ine  Creek  runs  r)ff  to  the  end 
of  Eagle  Lake.)  The  trail  crosses  Pine  Creek  ami  turns  to  the  west 
of  Feather  Lake  and  Xorvall 
Flat  and  crosses  Susan  Hiver, 
bearing  a  little  southwest  to 
Robbers  Creek,  which  it  crosses 
a  few  miles  lower  down.  This 
crossing  on  Robbers  Creek  is 
some  five  miles  to  the  north  and 
west  of  the  present  lumber  town 
of  West  wood. 

"Leaving  Robbers  Creek  a  few 
miles,  the  trail  passes  from  Las- 
sen County  into  Plumas  County. 
Where  the  trail  crossed  Big 
Meadows  is  now  covered  by  the 
waters  of  Lake  Almanor,  an  ar- 
tificial reservoir  of  great  capa- 
city. From  Big  Meadows,  or 
Lake  Almanor,  the  trail  went 
nearly  west  to  Deer  Creek  Mead- 
ows at  the  head  of  Deer  Creek. 

"Here  the  trail  followed  the 
west  side  of  Deer  Creek  through 
the  mountains  and  foothills  to 
the  Sacramento  Valley,  striking 
the  valley  at  Toomes  Creek  at  a 
point  near  the  railroad,  two 
miles  below  Los  Molinos  and 
some  four  miles  above  Vina, 
which  was  the  last  name  gixeii 
Lassen  Ranch." 

Our  ambitious  pioneer  nuidc 
two  or  more  trips  across  the 
plains.  He  may  have  come  the 
Carson  or  Placerville  route  first, 
looking  later  for  a  shorter  pas- 
sage to  Northern   ('alilornia. 

Fairfield,  the  historian  of  Las- 
sen County,  writes:  "The  road 
to  (California  ran  southwest  f i om 
Fort  Hall  to  the  head  waters  of 
the  Humboldt  River,  then  fol- 
lowed the  river  to  the  sink.  Las- 

[  49   ] 


MONUMENT    KHKcrfKI)    BY    NOHTHKHN 
(,AIJF(V1<NI.V    C.OINTIKS    ASSOCIATION. 

iM.n.n  i.AssKN  r.HAVi:. 

SEPTllMHKH  2(1     1;M7. 


sen  came  this  road  until  lie  reached  Hie  l>ig  Bend  ol'  the  IhiinhdUlt 
Hiver,  and  there  he  turned  into  the  Applegate  road  which  went  into 
Southern    ( li-egori." 

In  1850  (California  joined  the  Union.  In  185;')  L'nclc  Peter  settled  in 
what  is  known   now  as  Lassen   ('ounty.    Prior  to   that  he  lived  in   the 

Sacranienlo  \'alle\    foi"  ten  years. 

Lassen  Peak  and  Mountain  were  known  loi-  more  than  lil't.N  yeais  as 
Lassen  Bultes.  The  name  originated  from  a  peculiar  experience  oi'  its 
namesake.  This  indefatigable  and  persevering  frontiersman  was  of  a 
roving  and  investigating  dist)osilion.  Loving  the  world's  out-of-the-way 
])laces,  he  trusted  to  others  the  safekeepini^  ol  liis  valuable  ranch,  and 
was  never  happier  than  when  alone  with  his  two  ])ack  liorses  in  an 
unexploi'ed  wilderness. 

On  one  occasion  he  was  caught  in  a  violent  snowstorm  on  Lassen 
Peak.  The  snow  came  on  so  rapidly  and  fell  so  deeply  tiiat  he  could 
not  get  his  horses  out.  Always  full  of  expedients,  he  built  slielter  for 
them  and  for  himself  of  lir  boughs.  The  only  feed  he  bad  for  the  horses 
was  the  long  yellow  moss  hanging  from  the  evergreen  trees  in  that 
region.  He  was  kept  a  prisoner  by  tiie  storm  for  weeks;  therefore,  the 
name  Lassen  Buttes  was  well  earned  by  him. 

l^eter  Lassen  not  only  owned  the  largest  vineyard  in  tiie  world, 
wliich  is  at  present  part  of  the  Stanford  University  endowment  at 
Vina,  (California,  but  also  a  mine  said  to  be  located  in  the  vicinity  of 
Lassen  Peak.  Once  a  year  he  was  accustomed  to  take  a  trip  to  this 
mine,  now  lost  to  heredity  but  for  which  twent>  thousand  dollars  has 
been  offered  recently  to  any  person  or  persons  who  can  re-locate  it. 

It  was  while  on  a  prospecting  excursion  to  tlie  mountains  north  of 
Pyramid  Lake  that  Peter  Lassen  was  killed.  With  two  white  men  he 
camped  at  Black  Rock,  in  Stone  Cole  Valley,  for  the  night.  At  dawn  he 
and  one  other  man  were  shot  to  death  from  ambush.  The  survivor 
declared  the  shots  were  fired  by  Indians,  but  as  there  was  nothing  to 
indicate  a  quarrel  with  the  redmen,  they  are  entitled  to  the  Scotch 
verdict,  "Not  proven." 

Like  all  who  undertake  big  enterpi-ises  and  are  broad  of  vision, 
Peter  Lassen  had  enemies  among  the  small-minded.  Whatever  mis- 
fortune overtook  his  affairs  was  caused  by  the  greed  an{l  selfishness 
of  his  associates,  who  did  not  hesitate  to  take  advantage  of  his  child- 
like conlidcnce  and  generosity. 

Those  who  were  intimately  ac(iuainted  with  him  knew  he  had 
been  on  the  friendliest  terms  with  tlie  Indians.  In  fact,  it  was  an  aged 
Pit  River  Indian  who  told  Peter  Lassen  in  l.S5()  that  Lassen  Peak  was 
an  active  volcano.  Winnemucca,  the  venerable  Piute  chief,  was  an 
especially  warm  friend  of  our  distinguished  pioneer.  The  Indian  agent. 
Major  Dodge,  reciuested  Winnemucca  to  hold  a  council  in  regard  to  the 
death  of  Peter  Lassen.  The  chief  readily  agreed  and  the  same  was 
held  with  two  thousand  of  his  nation  at  Pyramid  Lake.  Nothing  could 
be  proved  against  the  Indians.    The  murder  looked  dubious  as  to  the 

r  50  ] 


rc-;il  pcrjK'tialors.  M;iJ()i-  Dod^c  \v;is  not  fiilirt'!\-  siilislicd  tli;it  tin 
Iiidiaiis  jiloiu'  were  imi)li(ak'(l  in  llie  allair,  nor  did  W  inninmcca  esci 
learn  an>tliini^  from  the  Indians  rcKardinf^'  the  nuirdei. 

]''aii-/ield,  the  liistorian  r)|'  Lassen  Coimtx.  <  lainis  to  have  met  one  or 
two  men  wlio  i)elieve(l   thai   Peter  Lassen  was  killed  h;.    white  nu-n. 

J>aiiei-ot't's  History  remarks:  '"ihere  was  some  hard  feeling  fowar<i 
him  on  the  j)arl  ol'  those  who  had  sullered  while  going  over-  the  Lassen 
Trail,  but  apart  from  this  there  is  ahsolulelx  nolhjn/^  to  show  he  had 
any  enemies  among  the  whites." 

During  a  residence  of  nearlj  iilty  years,  I'airlieid  personallv  never 
heard  any  of  the  old  settlers  say  anything  detrimental  regarding  !»etei- 
Lassen  or  that  he  ever  had  trouble  with  anyone. 

Bec-ause  of  the  hyiK'rsensitive  condition  of  jjublic  opinion  iollowing 
the  dreadful  fate  of  the  Donner  party,  the  suli'erings  of  those  who  took 
the  Lassen  Trail  and  spent  the  winter  of  181(S-4<)  at  Big  Meadows  caused 
the  State  to  send  a  rescue  party  early  in  IH.')!).  There  was  bitter  feeling 
and  severe  criticism  of  Peter  Lassen,  and  it  was  dillicult  to  jjersu.fde 
other  emigrants  to  take  that  route.  Rival  guides  made  nuich  of  this 
situation  to  divert  travel  over  their  own  trails,  and  if  is  (|uite  i)ossii)le 
that  a  thorough  sifting  of  evidence,  such  as  modern  detectives  emi)lo\-, 
would  have  found  the  motive  as  well  as  the  dastard  who  took  the  life 
of  Peter  Lassen. 

He  enjoyed  the  conlidence  and  friendship  of  siieh  staunch  citi/ens 
as  General  Fremont,  General  Sutter,  Commodore  Stockton  and  (ieneral 
Bidwell.  Captain  E.  G.  Beckwith,  who  in  1804  made  the  first  Govern- 
ment survey  for  a  railroad  from  the  Atlantic  to  tiie  Pacilic.  credits 
Peter  Lassen  with  being  the  most  active  guide  and  noted  character  in 
Northern  California.  Professor  .1.  1).  Whitney  says  that  in  18!  I  IVtei 
Lassen  built  the  first  civilized  habitation  north  of  Marv  sville.  He  had 
an  honorable  and  active  part  in  the  Mexican  ^^ar.  and  was  always  lined 
up  with  the  law  and  order  forces  before  and  alter  California  came  into 
the  Union.  He  was  ai)i)ointed  Indian  Agent  by  the  Iniled  Slates  Govern- 
ment and  was  a  powciul  factor  in  keet)ing  peace  Jul vsecn  the  red  and 
white  races. 

Peter  Lassen  was  a  true  Norseman!  Cool-headed  and  lourageous  in 
adversity,  it  was  not  like  him  to  sit  down  and  |)ine  because  hi^ 
and)itious  i)lans  impoverisiied  and  ruined  him  linanciallN .  With  the 
loss  of  Bos(iue.jo,  his  big  rehama  County  grant  of  land,  and  the  dis- 
persion of  his  colony,  he  went  to  the  untracked  wilderness  of  Honey 
Lake  Valley  and  built  the  lirst  sawmill  in  Lassen  County.  There  were 
too  few  white  sctllcis  to  make  the  venture  prolilable.  hut  he  soon  had 
a  considerable  trade  with  the  powerful  Washoe  Indians  of  Nevada, 
then  under  the  leadershii)  of  Chief  Winnenuuca. 

Getting  on  in  \ears,  it  was  (luilc  an  uiidi'riaking  for  him  to  visit  P.ed 
Blulf  trading  station  for  supplies.  {)n  tiiese  ot-casions  he  was  al\\a>s 
welcome  to  take  from  his  old  ranch  at  \ina  an>  thing  he  might  wish  to 
carry  away. 

[   .-)!    ] 


That  the  ohl  spirit  of  adveiitiirt'  still  jJirippcti  him  was  evick'iu-ed  by  his 
hist  grandiose  scheme.  This  was  the  lounding  of  tlie  sliort-lived  "Terri- 
tory of  Nataqiia,"  whieh  included  the  iinsurveyed  huids  now  forming 
a  part  of  Northeastern  California  and  Nevada.  On  April  26,  185G,  Peter 
Lassen  and  Isaac  Hoop  had  themselves  elected  president  and  secretary 
of  Nataqua,  and  declared  the  new  territory  independent  of  California! 
The  area  involved  included  Honey  Lake  Valley  and  contained  about 
Jifly  thousand  square  miles. 

There  was  quite  a  bit  of  romance  connected  with  this  crack-brained 
enterprise  which  finally  led  to  the  famous  Sagebrush  ^Yar  between  the 
Never-Sweats  and  Squatters,  before  the  boundary  lines  between  Cali- 
fornia and  Nevada  were  determined  in  1803.  The  name  Nataqua,  an 
Indian  word,  was  applied  to  a  woman  of  exceptional  crualities — literally 
a  woman  favored  of  the  gods,  Susan  Roop,  the  sprightly  and  resource- 
ful daughter  of  Isaac  Roop,  was  idolized  by  her  father.  In  appreciation 
of  the  sterling  qualities  of  Susan  Roop  and  in  recognition  of  her  public 
services,  her  name,  Susan,  was  given  to  an  important  river,  and  to 
Susanville,  the  county  seat  of  Lassen  County.  She  lived  a  long  and 
useful  life,  and  retained  her  grace  and  charm  to  the  end. 

Peter  Lassen,  the  confirmed  and  lonely  old  bachelor,  had  an  exalted 
opinion  of  the  entire  Benton  family.  His  profound  admiration  for 
General  John  C.  Fremont,  the  Pathfinder,  enlisted  his  strong  sympathies 
when  Congress  disavowed  Fremont's  act  and  reduced  him  in  rank.  The 
heroic  struggle  against  this  injustice  carried  on  by  his  wife,  Jessie 
Benton  Fremont,  made  a  vivid  impression  on  the  chivalric  imagination 
of  Peter  Lassen.  The  name  Nataqua  made  a  special  appeal  to  the  self- 
appointed  president  and  secretary;  hence  its  application  to  the  un- 
charted, unknown  and  shadowy  realm  both  sought  to  create. 

Peter  Lassen  did  not  see  the  end  of  his  last  attempt  at  empire- 
building.  Nor  did  he  accumulate  further  riclies,  as  he  was  killed  Febru- 
ary 2G,  1859.  News  of  his  death  spread  rapidly,  and  was  condemned 
and  deplored  by  all  classes.  Members  of  his  Masonic  lodge  hastened  to 
the  spot  where  he  died.  They  recovered  his  body  and,  acting  upon  a 
previously  expressed  wish,  buried  him  in  his  own  held  in  the  beautiful 
bowl-shaped  Honey  Lake  Valley,  surrounded  by  the  snow-capped 
mountains  he  loved  so  well. 

Over  his  grave  Lassen  lodge  erected  the  first  Masonic  monument  in 
the  State  of  California,  with  the  simple  inscription :  "Peter  Lassen,  a 
native  of  Denmark,  age  sixty-six;  killed  February  26,  1850." 

As  the  old  monument  had  been  cut  from  the  volcanic  composite 
stone  of  that  vicinity,  the  passing  of  years  caused  its  disintegration. 
Therefore,  a  new  and  beautiful  monument,  towering,  needle-pointed, 
of  highly-polished  grey  and  black  marble,  was  erected  in  its  place.  The 
new  shaft  was  dedicated  with  most  inii^rcssive  Masonic  ceremonies 
September  20,  1917. 

Mrs.  May  C.  Lassen,  wife  of  Alexander  Charters  Lassen  of  New  York 
Cit>%  a  lineal  descendant  of  Peter  Lassen,  was  invited  by  Masons  of  the 
northern  counties  to  attend  tiie  ceremonies  and  unveil  the  monument, 

[   52   ] 


whifli  was  draped  in  (lie  Initrd  States  Fla^.  By  leciuest  she  also  placed 
an  immense  wreath  of  California  laurel  leaves  upon  flie  Hiave,  si-nt 
from  San  Francisco  by  the  Grand  Parlor,  Native  Sons  of  the  (iohkn 
West. 

Susanville  citizens  presented  a  broken  shaft  of  violet  asters,  an 
emblem  of  great  significance,  speaking  byuder  than  words  could  convey 
of  their  emoti(jns. 

Mrs.  Frederick  H.  Colburn  of  San  Francisco,  who  accomijanied  .Nfrs. 
Lassen,  placed  a  wreath  of  large  white  French  ImuKirtellcs  tied  with 
broad  green  and  gold  ribbons  (California's  own  colors)  upon  the  last 
resting  place  of  the  grand  old  Viking  whose  eventful  life  was  so  closely 
woven  with  the  earlier  history  of  California. 

A  large  assemblage  was  present.  The  delegates  to  the  Northern 
Counties  Association  Convention,  Susanville,  and  the  surrounding  valley 
were  well  represented  with  their  school  childi-en,  who  sang  several 
songs,  showing  their  undiminished  resi)ect  for  their  bra\e-hearte(!  and 
public-spirited  citizen. 

Mr.  Jules  Alexander  of  Susanville,  vice-president  of  the  Nortiiern 
Counties  Association,  whose  untiring  and  devoted  activity  was  con- 
ducive to  obtaining  the  funds  for  this  noble  and  splendid  gift,  i)resided. 

Mrs.  Frederick  H.  Colburn  spoke  in  behalf  of  the  national  honors 
bestowed  upon  Peter  Lassen  and  Mr.  .1.  A.  Pardee  in  beiialf  of  tlie 
Masons. 

The  services  were  a  touching  tribute  to  the  memory  of  this  well- 
beloved,  generous-hearted  and  kindly  soul.  No  one  can  doubt  that  there 
must  have  been  something  sweet  and  lovable  in  the  nature  of  this 
remarkable  man  to  have  inspired  posterity  to  render  to  his  memory 
such  signal  honor.  No  other  person  in  Pacific  Coast  history  has  received 
such  distinction.  Nation,  State,  county  and  community  have  joined  in 
immortalizing  the  name  of  Peter  Lassen. 

With  the  opening  up  of  the  vast  territory  his  name  can  not  fail  to 
become  a  household  word  and  he  will  be  visualized  in  the  pageants  of 
the  "Days  of  Forty-nine,"  to  be  annually  celebrated  in  the  Capital  ('ity 
of  Sacramento.  Thus  after  half  a  century  are  broui^ht  forth  and  rene\\e<l 
the  reverence  and  remembrance  of  a  venerable  pioneer. 

Peter  Lassen  sleeps  seven  miles  from  Susanville.  beneath  the  con- 
tinual sighing  of  the  largest  sugar  pine  in  Lassen  County.  Tliis  forest 
giant  is  nine  feet  in  diameter  and  is  blasted  at  the  top.  It  is  surrounded 
by  a  group  of  younger  pines  stantling  like  sentinels  to  guard  and  lend 
their  strength  forever  to  this  quiet  and  dignified  spot.  What  could  be 
more  appropriate  in  its  chaste  simi^licity  than  this  group  of  frees 
joining  in  unison  in  a  never-dying  requiem  (uer  his  solitary  gravel 

As  Lassen  Peak  has  become  a  National  Park  reserve,  the  locality 
best  loved  by  Caliromia's  old  jiioneer  w  ill  be  his  lasting  monument. 

M\^   C.  T.vssi  N. 
[  53   ] 


THE  LASSEN  TRAIL  OF  TODAY 


ETHH  F.ASSI'^X  has  l)et'n  dead  many  .Ncars,  but  the  trail  whicli 
boars  his  iiaiiu'  still  lives  to  those  who  are  willing  to  follow  it 
into  the  depth.s  of  the  niounlains.  P.  W.  Snyder  is  a  deer 
hunter  by  profession  and  relic  hunting  is  his  pastime.  While 
Mr.  Snyder  and  party  were  out  deer  hunting  recently  they 
camped  for  the  night  on  the  headwaters  of  Onion  C.reek,  which 
flows  into  Deer  Creek.  Although  they  had  four  deer  hanging  by  the 
canipfire,  Mr.  Snyder's  hunger  for  relics  got  the  better  of  him  and  he 
wandered  ort"  to  inspect  the  Lassen  Trail  that  has  been  discarded  for 
sixty  years  and  has  grown  up  with  brush  and  trees. 

After  a  diligent  search  Mr.  Snyder  was  rewarded  by  finding  relics 
of  an  emigrant  party,  eighteen  in  number,  who  are  reported  to  have 
perished  here  in  1849  or  1850.  More  than  a  dozen  pieces  of  irons  from 
wagons  and  ox-bows  were  secured.  One  of  the  hub-bands  was  dis- 
covered on  the  limb  of  a  tree  eighteen  feet  from  the  ground.  All  the 
irons  were  forged  by  a  blacksmith,  as  was  the  custom  seventy  years 
ago.  Older  people,  who  can  remendjer  the  crotch-skein  wagon,  will  be 
especially  interested  in  closely  examining  these  different  iiieces  of  iron. 
These  relics  speak  in  no  uncertain  terms  of  the  ver>  early  days  of  Cali- 
fornia, and  may  be  seen  at  the  Los  Molinos  Hotel.  Near  where  these 
relics  were  found  is  a  small  valley  and  a  fine  spring  of  water.  George 
Mathews,  who  was  one  of  the  deer  hunters,  states  that  several  graves 
were  plainly  discernible. 

At  this  point  the  hunters  wandered  and  wondered  for  two  days.  But 
the  trail  of  the  mountains  means  more  than  wonder;  it  means  hard 
work.  There  is  much  of  interest  to  be  seen  in  a  mountain  mile,  through 
the  high  country.  For  all  the  toll  the  mountains  take  of  a  man  they  give 
compensations — deep  breath,  deep  sleep  and  the  connnunion  of  the 
stars. 

Down  in  the  gulch  they  made  camp.  It  had  been  the  house  of  the 
miner.  They  told  stories,  smoked  the  pipe  of  peace,  and,  as  the  chill 
crept  down  from  the  eternal  snows,  prepared  for  bed.  The  soft  woolen 
blankets,  close  about  the  chin,  would  insure  a  night's  sleep,  were  it  not 
for  the  coyote,  that  lean  hobo  of  the  hills,  who  sits  on  his  haunches  and 
howls  and  howls.  High  as  the  camp  may  be,  so  it  is  not  above  the  timber 
line,  it  is  not  too  high  for  the  coyote,  the  bobcat  or  the  wolf.  Both  the 
red  fox  and  the  coyote  are  free  of  the  night  hours,  and  both  killers  for 
the  pure  love  of  slaughter.  The  fox  is  no  great  talker,  but  the  coyote 
goes  garrulously  through  the  dark,  sounding  twenty  keys  at  once,  gossip, 
warning  and  abuse. 

In  memory,  the  pleasures  of  a  hunting  trip  strengthen  with  time, 
and  the  disagreeables  weaken.  Of  such  is  the  trail,  of  such  its  wonders, 
its  pleasures,  its  little  comforts,  its  annoyances,  its  dangers.  Of  such  is 
the  web  and  woof  of  their  little  trip,  i^ut  through  it  ran  the  pattern  of 
fantastic  delight  such  as  the  West  alone  can  otfer.  The  trail  of  the 
mountains  and  the  trail  of  life  alike  lead  always  on  and  on,  into  the 
higher  country  f)f  responsibility,  until  at  last  it  leaves  us  at  the  smiimit 
of  the  Croat  Divide.— /fed  Bluff  Scnlincl. 

[  54   ] 


FLYING  OVER  MT.  LASSEN 

R.  I-HI':I)I:1{I(;K  v.  WK.I.IAMS,  im  (.hscrvir  with  flu-  Army 
aviator  air  jjatrol,  serving  witii  liic  InittMl  States  forest  ran«fr 
fire  fii»liters  stationed  at  IUmI  liliiM',  forty  miles  souliiwest  ol 
Lassen  Peak,  gives  the  following  aecoiml  of  a  reciiit  lliglit 
f^mf  ^'^'^'"  t'^^  crater  of  the  volcano:  "Tlie  pilot  turned  and  calletl 
'^^^11  my  attention  to  Lassen  Peak.  I  looked  hack;  Mt.  Shasta  was 
lehind  us.  The  crater  of  Lassen  yawned  helow  and  just  ahead 
vyf  us.  The  big  De  Haviland  dove  downward.  We  were  making  a  nose 
dive  over  the  volcano!  I  leaned  over  and  i)eered  directly  into  the 
mouth  of  the  crater.  I  saw  a  round,  green  lake  of  hoiling  slime,  set 
like  an  emerald  in  gold-colored  sand. 

"The  pilot  had  lighted  his  i)lane  and  sent  it  into  a  long,  slow  sweej) 
ahout  the  ridge  of  the  crater.  On  the  third  turn  I  realized  that  we  were 
less  than  one  hundred  feet  above  the  crater,  and  tliid  I  was  looking 
down  at  its  boiling  lava.  The  steep,  slanting  sides  of  the  volcano  race<l 
beneath  us  to  its  earthward  base  more  than  ten  thousand  feet  helow. 
We  were  scarcely  five  hundred  feet  from  the  crater  edge  when  the 
plane  suddenly  dropped  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet.  The  air,  every- 
thing, gave  way  beneath  us,  as  the  airi)lane  fell  in  dead  weight.  Its 
propeller  fanned — nothing!  It  slowed  and  the  engine  seemed  to  die! 
I  felt  the  sensation  of  the  sudden  fall.  The  pilot  worked  his  controls 
frantically.  I  thought  the  volcano's  gases  had  destroyed  all  the  air  in 
our  vicinity.    My  heart  stood  still.   I  sat  there  and  pra\ed. 

"Suddenly  the  pilot  gained  control,  and  we  shot  up  two  thousand 
feet.  It  was  bitter  cold.  The  wind  cut  and  lashed  our  faces.  Then  we 
went  down,  down,  down.  The  plane  nosed  homeward  through  nasty 
air  pockets  that  rocked  us  like  a  ship  at  sea.  I  felt  sick.  The  pilot 
looked  back  at  me  and  laughed. 

"'Good  night!'  I  shouted,  i'm  through!' 

"We  circled  around  Red  Bluff,  picked  out  a  nice  soft  s|)ot  ti>  land 
and  glided  to  the  field.  The  hoys  of  the  Nintli  Aero  (",ori)s  galiiered 
around. 

"'How  did  you  like  it?"  they  grinned. 

"'Fine!'  I  declared.    Hut  like  the  little  hov  in  the  slnr>   Ix.nk.  1  liid." 


*• 

•* 

'-  "^ 

.-^       < 

-.^••.|i. 

ne^-.:^-* 

>.    ■ 

J 

^  '\jMm 

iJ»S£uC^v 

.SJllitaHHJT«.-^ 

viBjqi^! 

SOI    lUI    'vM    M  MMir  I..VSSKN    I'K.Mv. 


[    55    ] 


14(VL(.H   (OLNir.Y.   i. ASSIGN    VOI.'.AMC  NAl  ION  \L   I'AKK. 


LASSEN  VOLCANIC  NATIONAL  PARK 


HE  park  proper  has  a  jagged  boundary  line  which  inchidcs  four 
counties.  Nearly  all  of  the  eastern  portion  lies  in  Lassen 
County,  while  the  northern  boundary  is  about  evenly  divided 
between  Shasta  and  Lassen.  The  western  area  is  composed 
principally  of  Shasta  County  land.  Only  the  southwestern 
corner  belongs  to  Tehama.  Plumas  County  claims  a  narrow 
strip  ahnost  the  entire  length  of  the  southern  outline,  and  also  has  the 
southeastern  corner.  Broke-olf  Mountain  occupies  the  extreme  south- 
western corner  of  the  park,  wliile  Lassen  Peak  is  well  within  the 
national  reserve. 

The  proposed  plan  of  developnient  is  to  ()i)cn  up  the  spectacular 
scenic  places  by  building  trails  for  side  trips  and  ample  accommoda- 
tion for  tourists  who  come  by  way  of  the  county  laterals  or  the  State 
highways.  The  United  States  Government  will  eventu.ally  encircle  the 
whole  mountain  with  a  loop  boulevard  seventy  miles  long.  This  will 
enable  the  visitor  to  make  the  entire  circuit  in  a  day,  with  ample  time 
for  sightseeing  and  without  fatigue  or  hurry.  Construction  of  this  road 
will  begin  simultaneously  from  established  camps  and  resorts  accessible 
to  tourists  and  will  extend  in  each  direction  until  finally  joined.  In 
the  meantime,  it  will  be  possible  to  spend  a  vacation  in  each  locality 
or  to  divide  one's  time  by  going  back  over  the  county  lateral  until  the 
State  highway  is  reached  and  a  visit  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  volcano 
can  be  made. 

Several  approach  roads  are  in  process  of  building  and  the  National 
Forest  Service  trails  are  available  to  those  who  wish  to  climb  the 
mountain.  The  Redding-Susanville  Higlnvay,  the  most  rugged  and 
pictures([ue  of  them  all,  is  almost  completed.  This  road  is  being  con- 
structed by  convict  labor,  because  of  the  extreme  diihculties  and 
expense  attached.  It  has  the  lowest  grade  of  all  the  routes  passing  near 
tlie  base  of  the  volcano.  Its  highest  point  is  five  thousand  two  hundred 
feet  and  the  accommodations  enroute  are  well  established  and  allow 
of  choice  of  location  and  price. 

The  present  officers  of  the  Lassen  Volcanic  National  Park  Associa- 
tion are  men  of  exceptional  ability  who  have  been  chosen  for  their 
enthusiasm  and  energetic  prosecution  of  the  development  work  entailed 
in  pioneering.    They  are  expected  to  open  up  a  little-known  section  of 

[   56   ] 


tlie  State  and  to  Id  llic  world  know  tlic  i;i'fat  scenic  jiossibilities  of  this 
new  jdayMronnd. 

A  particularly  littin^f  selection  is  .Mr.  .M.  \..  i)illniar,  secretur>- 
manaj^er,  who  is  an  able  engineer,  a  geoi()f4ist,  a  writer  and  a  s[>eaker. 
]\Ir,  Dittmar  is  an  indel'atii^ahle  worker  and  nnsellisldy  uses  all  of  hi.s 
talents  for  the  good  of  his  association. 

Mr.  .Tides  Alexander  of  Susanville  is  prohahly  the  best  known  an<l 
best  beloved  man  in  Lassen  County.  He  is  a  prosperous  banker,  and  is 
identified  with  all  that  makes  for  the  best  interests  of  Northern  Cali- 
fornia. Me  is  the  treasurer  of  the  association  and  contrii)Ufed  liberally 
to  the  funds  needed  for  preliminary  exploitation  and  development. 

The  Hon.  George  C.  Pardee  of  Oakland,  once  (iovernor  r)f  California, 
is  the  enterprising  vice-president.  Mr.  Pardee  has  alwa>s  been  a  j^n-.d 
booster  for  the  big  things  done  for  i)ublic  welfare. 

Mr.  H.  L.  Conrad  of  Red  Blidf  is  president  and  represents  the  active 
interests  of  Tehama  County — a  commonwealth  ii'timately  associated 
with  Peter  Lassen,  and  whose  citizens  are  determined  to  make  Lassen 
Volcanic  National  Park  the  greatest  scenic  asset  of  the  I'acilic  Coast. 

The  headcpiarters  of  the  Lassen  Volcanic  National  I'ark  .\ssocialion 
is  in  the  Crocker  lUiilding,  San  Francisco,  California. 


A     ^^  I'll    \1.    i(   I     (   A\  i   UN  ;    lO.I  Mill. I   s. 


V^sj  \     11    \l\. 


[   57   ] 


AMERICAN   GANG  LORE 


HE  politician  sometinies  goes  up  Sail  Rivtr;  the  Iiunberjack 
retires  to  Red  River,  where  all  his  cartiily  cares  vanish  into 
nothingness.  R  was  knowledge  of  this  wliich  gave  the  name 
Red  River  Lumber  Company  to  the  big  corporation  operating 
at  Westwood.  An  examination  of  their  trademark  shows  that 
they  cherish  the  traditions  that  have  grown  around  Paul 
Bunyan,  the  only  purely  American  epic  hero  produced  in  this  country. 
Unlike  the  Cid,  the  fighting  hero  of  chivalry,  Paul  Bunyan  exalts  and 
glorifies  work — not  the  petty  efforts  of  commonplace  men,  but  the 
marvelous  and  incredible  deeds  of  a  logging  camp  hero.  Many  mighty 
deeds  are  accredited  to  the  doughty  I^aul.  Esther  Shepherd  gives  this 
about  his  babyhood:  "Paul  Bunyan  was  born  in  Maine.  When  three 
weeks  old  he  rolled  around  so  much  in  his  sleep  that  he  destroyed  four 
square  miles  of  standing  timber.  Then  they  built  a  floating  cradle  for 
him  and  anchored  it  ofT  Eastport.  When  Paul  rocked  in  his  cradle  it 
caused  a  seventy-five-foot  tide  in  the  Bay  of  Fundy,  and  several  villages 
were  washed  away.  By  stepping  out  of  his  cradle,  Paul  saved  Nova  Scotia 
from  becoming  an  island,  but  the  tides  in  the  Bay  of  Fundy  have  not 
subsided  yet." 

Professor  Fenska  of  the  University  of  Oregon  says:  "Where  the 
tradition  of  this  Davy  Crockett  of  the  axe,  this  superman  of  the  logging 
camps  originated  no  one  knows.  R  is  probable  that  the  stories  of  his 
courage  and  impossible  feats  started  on  the  St.  Lawrence,  then  filtered 
into  the  woods  of  the  Adirondacks,  Michigan  and  Wisconsin.  Although 
at  times  very  human,  Paul  Bunyan  in  his  bigger  moments  far  surpasses 
any  of  the  figures  of  classical  Scandinavian  or  Celtic  legend." 

Lee  J.  Smits  says :  "Only  among  the  pioneers  could  Paul  thrive.  His 
deeds  are  inspired  by  such  imagination  as  grows  in  the  great  outdoors. 
For  hours  at  a  time  lumberjacks  pile  up  the  achievements  of  their 
mythical  hero.  His  legends  must  be  related  and  received  seriously.  Paul 
Bunyan  has  become  a  part  of  everyday  life  in  the  lumber  camps.  He 
serves  a  valuable  purpose  in  giving  every  hardship  and  tough  problem 
its  whimsical  turn." 

Paul  Bunyan  has  become  astonishingly  versatile  in  the  West.  When 
the  Walker  brothers  first  talked  of  building  Westwood,  their  old  log- 
gers looked  at  each  other  and  said:  "Better  send  for  Paul  Bunyan.  R  is 
a  job  for  him  and  his  Seven  Axe  Men  of  the  Red  River."  The  axes  carried 
by  these  heroic  lumbermen  w^ere  so  big  it  required  a  week's  time  to 
grind  one.  Each  man  was  supplied  with  three  axes,  which  were  hung 
on  long  rope  handles.  Each  axeman  marched  through  the  woods  swing- 
ing his  axe  and  at  every  step  a  quarter-section  of  timber  was  cut. 

Snowshoes  are  useful  in  winter,  but  one  trip  on  the  webs  cured 
Paul  of  depending  on  them  for  transcontinental  hikes.  He  started  from 
Minnesota  for  Westwood  one  spring  morning.  There  was  still  snow  in 
the  woods,  so  Paul  wore  his  snowshoes.  He  soon  ran  out  of  the  snow 
belt,  but  kept  on  going  without  reducing  speed.  Crossing  the  desert  the 
heat  became  opj^ressive.  His  mackinaws  grew  heavy,  and  the  snow- 
shoes  dragged  his  feet.   It  was  too  late  to  turn  back. 

[   58   ] 


m.^^?^»'^-l 


PAUL  HUNYAN,  A   DROLL  FI:LL()\V  WITH   A  HOC.l  ISH   V.W.,  WHO   M AKl  S   IM  AV 
OIT  OF  WOMK.   (With  :ip<il(>t,'ics  to  W.  li.  I.:m;jlic:i(l.i 


When  he  arrived  in  (laliforiiia  lie  discoveied  tliat  the  sun  and  Imt 
sand  had  warped  one  ol  his  slioes  and  pulled  one  foot  out  of  line  at 
each  step.  So  instead  of  travelin,>f  on  a  hee  lini-  and  arrivini;  at  Wesf- 
wood,  he  came  out  at  San  I"raneiseo.  This  niadi'  it  neeessary  for  him 
to  travel  an  extra  three  hundred  miles  noith.  II  was  late  that  ni.uhl  when 
he  reached  AVestwood.  lie  had  used  up  a  whole  day  coming  from 
Minnesota! 

Big  Joe,  the  cook,  came  to  Wesfwood  with  Paul  and  the  two  of  them 
started  something.  Ahout  that  time  the  papers  were  full  of  n\  hat  they 
said  was  an  eruption  of  Lassen  I'eak.  after  centuries  of  (luiescenee.    (^f 

[  59   ] 


course,  this  assiiniption  was  a  mistake.  Wliat  really  happened  was  that 
Big  Joe  (lug  a  bean  hole  in  the  side  of  the  mountain.  When  the  steam 
worked  out  ol"  the  kettle  and  up  through  the  ground,  everybody  but  the 
knuberjaeks  thougiit  tiie  old  hill  had  turned  volcano.  Now  when  Joe 
drops  a  biscuit,  people  talk  of  earthquakes. 

According  to  the  best  woodsmen  authorities,  Paul  Bunyan  is  the  man 
who  logged  off  North  Dakota.  (If  you  doubt  this,  go  there  and  look  for 
trees.)  It  is  certain  he  cut  timber  on  the  Big  Onion  the  winter  of  the 
blue  snow;  that  he  dug  the  holes  for  the  Great  Lakes;  that  tlie 
Mississippi  River  is  the  residt  of  an  accident  to  his  water  tank  and  that 
the  ten  thousand  lakes  of  Minnesotaare  the  tracks  ofhisbigblue  ox, Babe. 
After  a  short  time  on  the  California  job,  Paul  declared  that  his  previous 
experience  seemed  like  a  lazy  man's  vacation.  Paul's  viewpoint  is  prob- 
ably correct,  for  the  one  and  only  strictly  American  Gang  Lore  epic  is 
still  in  the  making,  with  the  primeval  forests  of  the  Lassen  area  the 
place  for  future  heroic  exploits. 


PAUL  BUNYAN  AND  LASSEN  PEAK  ERUPTION 


ECORATION  DAY,  1914,  was  the  first  holiday  Paul  Bunyan 
found  time  to  enjoy  after  his  arrival  in  California.  He  had 
established  the  Red  River  Lumber  Company  at  Westwood  and 
had  gotten  the  town  well  started.  Before  sitting  down  to  rest 
he  fdled  his  pipe,  preparatory  to  a  good  smoke,  but  when  he 
struck  a  match  Lassen  Peak  blew^  up.  Paul  had  considerable 
trouble  in  making  his  pipe  draw.  Every  time  he  took  a  puff,  everybody 
declared  the  old  volcano  was  erupting  again. 

Paul  threw  down  the  burnt  end  of  his  match,  hit  the  United  States 
Forest  Service  lookout  house,  perched  high  up  on  the  west  side  of  the 
steaming  crater,  and  knocked  it  all  to  pieces.  Nobody  ever  accused 
Paul  of  being  malicious  or  ill-tempered,  but  when  he  saw  that  the 
lookout  house  was  not  built  of  California  white  pine,  he  spunked  up 
and  said  "he  would  be  gosh-hanged  if  he  would  stand  for  it!"  He  was 
very  decent  about  it  even  then.  He  did  not  knock  the  shack  entirely 
down.  He  only  mussed  it  up  so  that  the  Government  would  have  to 
move  to  a  new  spot  and'  put  up  a  better  structure.  This,  of  course, 
helped  the  lumber  business — some. 

Paul  did  not  get  a  satisfactory  smoke  until  May  22,  1915.  Then  his 
pipe  was  in  perfect  condition,  and  when  he  lit  it,  Lassen  sent  up  a 
smoke  cloud  nearly  eight  miles  high!  This  formation  was  in  reality  a 
huge  cauliflower  that  the  cook,  Big  Joe,  wanted  for  dinner.  The  bean 
pot  was  in  the  lower  part  of  the  mountain  and  boiled  over  at  the  same 
time.   The  steam  left  a  big  hole,  which  has  not  cooled  oil  yet. 

The  results  of  Paul's  smokes  are  lying  all  over  the  place  in  the  form 
of  bread  crust  bombs,  ashes  and  cinders,  and  the  smouldering  fire  still 
sputters  and  fumes  among  the  dying  embers. 

Paul  has  cleaned  his  pipe  and  laid  it  aside  for  the  present.  When 
he  emptied  the  lower  part  of  the  bowl  the  goo  ran  down  Hat  Creek  and 
Lost  River  way,  leaving  miles  of  devastated  timber,  muck  and  debris, 
which  cut  a  wide  swath  through  everything, 

[   60   ] 


AN  IMAGINARY  OVERFLOW  OF  LASSEN  PEAK 
TEN  THOUSAND  YEARS  AGO 

(From  "Ycnnali,  tlie  Doiado,"  a  roinaiue,  In  Irona  hiiiiicc  Wait  Col- 
burn,  published  in  1897  iK-forc-  the  antlior  had  seen  eitlier  the  moun- 
tain or  a  photofipaph  of  it.  An  ancient  city  was  snpp<ised  to  exist  in 
the  little  \'-shaped  valley  nearby  and  to  the  east  of  l)rake>ha(l,  at 
tlie  soiitii  JKise  of  tin-  volcano.) 


SHAHP,  .s\va\  ini4,  lockMi^  inoNciiunt.  .sciKliii;^  tin-  wjikI-av 
panes  to  the  Mround  with  a  crash  ami  throwiiiK  the  wonu-ii 
against  each  other  violently,  blanched  their  laces  and  caiise«i 
them  to  cling  together  lor  support.  .\  deafening  explosion 
followed,  and  the  cry  of  her  panic-stricken  people  aroused 
Keroecia. 

"'Run  lor  thy  lives!'  shouted  a  voice  in  the  street.  "Ihc  iiiniinlains 
are  smoking  and  spitting  lire!    Quick!    Quick!    Mun!' 

"The  ^vonlen  barely  escaped  in  time  to  miss  liie  failing;  walls.  In 
I  he  streets  an  indescribable  scene  was  being  enacted. 

"What  is  now  known  as  Lassen  Peak  sent  up  a  ImiM.  Iicr\  c  ihiinn 
and  the  eartii  heaved  and  groaned  under  the  exertion. 

"Ashes,  smoke  and  lava  began  i)ouring  down  the  sides  of  llu-  |)eak. 
and  there  was  a  mad  rush  of  wild  animals  coming  to  man  in  their  mule 
helplessness.    The  rocking  mountains  hemmed  in  flu'  little  valle\. 

"Suddenly  the  gloom  was  lighted  by  a  meteoric  showi-r  which  iHv 
hours  made  the  heavens  blaze  in  a  magnilicent  electiical  displax.  .\ 
terrific  crash  of  thunder  followed,  then  an  ominous  i  iiinhlc.  ending  in 
a  long  guttural  groan  which  seemed  to  rend  the  bosom  ol  the  lreiid)lin.n 
earth. 

"Red-hot  stones  and  burning  cinders  fell  liki'  a  storm  of  liri-  upnii 
the  whole  surrounding  country.  Land  surfaces  subsided  and  rose  again 
like  immense  chests  in  regular  and  lusty  breathing.  The  rnhhlc  walls 
and  battlements  of  the  pavilion  fell  as  a  pack  of  cards. 

"A  second  shock  leveled  every  house  and  brought  trees  and  rocks 
crashing  down  the  mountain  sides,  dealing  death  and  destruction 
everywhere.  The  whole  artillery  of  the  heavens  was  in  action,  drown- 
ing the  feeble  cries  of  man,  <lying  terror-stricken  in  tin-  heaps  of  luins. 

"Lizards,  snakes,  rats,  mice  and  moles  raci-d  niadl.N  in  ivi-r\  diric- 
tion,  while  the  timid  owls  and  other  birds  Mew  close  to  tiu"  ground  and 
screeched  in  their  fright  and  bewilderment.  Larger  animals  huddled 
close  together,  while  dogs  howled  dismallx. 

"A  handful  of  men  i'.nd  women,  surviving  the  lirsl  terrilir  sho.  ks. 
attempted  to  escape  over  the  lower  range  of  hills,  hut  to  tluir  horr'>r  a 
yawning  gulf  opened  at  their  feet. 

"Moving  in  sinister  ma.jesty  and  stian.ucncss  was  a  hottomUss 
al)yss,  impassable  in  width  and  sever. d  inili's  loiii;.  Before  their  very 
eyes  it  swallowed  up  human  beings,  houses  and  trees,  grinding  and 
crushing  them  betwicii  its  gigantic  jaws.    Willi  another  terrilie  wreneli 

[  (il    ] 


it  belclu'd  them  up  again  and  covered  them  in  a  deluge  of  steam,  mud 
and  hot  water. 

"The  river  lying  below  the  city  had  deserted  its  natural  bed,  driven 
before  the  avalanche  of  lava,  and  the  sea  of  mud,  vapor,  gas,  black 
smoke  and  etlluvia  showed  wliere  it  had  forever  disappeared  through  a 
gaping  crevice. 

"A  thick  shower  of  ashes  filled  the  air.  The  earth  surfaces  undulated 
and  cpiivered  for  a  few  seconds.  Then  a  tempest  of  lightning  and  hail 
cleared  the  sulfocating  atmosphere. 

"In  the  lurid  flashes  could  be  seen  the  oscillation  forth  and  back  as 
if  the  very  heart  of  Lassen  Peak  were  being  torn  out.  Its  gray  vomit, 
streaked  with  red,  trailed  like  a  snake  over  the  floor  of  the  valley, 
setting  tire  to  the  combustible  wreckage  and  stealing  up  the  base  of  the 
peak  as  well. 

"Keroecia  lead  lier  little  band  of  devoted  followers  up  the  high 
mountain  walling  up  the  western  side  of  the  valley.  The  subterranean 
rumbling  sounded  in  her  ears  like  the  drum-beating  on  stumps  of  trees 
done  by  the  wings  of  male  pheasants  when  calling  to  their  females. 

"  'I  hear  not  the  call  of  a  mate.  It  is  death — and  thou  art  welcome!' 
she  cried,  turning  a  pale  but  composed  face  to  the  burning  heights. 

"  'Thou  hast  heard  my  prayer!'  she  continued,  stretching  out  her 
arms  in  supplication.  'Thou  hast  granted  me  the  purification  by  fire! 
Thy  spirit  laughs  and  licks  out  long  tongues  of  flame  straight  from  thy 
fiery  throat!  Thy  countenance  is  wreathed  with  smiles,  for  me,  Oh, 
Death!  But  if  consistent  with  thy  will,  spare  these  children  of  the 
forest.' 

"A  hissing,  howling  hurricane  stormed  and  raged  around  them. 
With  a  convulsive  lurch  the  ground  underneath  shivered,  and  finally 
the  elevation  on  which  they  stood  was  rent  in  twain  from  top  to 
bottom. 

"One  half  collapsed  and  fell  in,  while  through  the  kettle-shaped 
opening  in  the  valley  swept  a  flood  of  mud,  scoria  and  molten  lava 
which  completely  submerged  the  burning  ruins.  Rain  fell  in  a  solid 
sheet,  but  now  the  hot  air  and  steam  tortured  them  with  heat. 

"Suddenly  a  dog,  maddened  with  terror,  leaped  into  the  seething 
cauldron,  and  its  cry  was  stifled  by  a  sizzling,  crackling  sound  as  the 
poor  creature  was  crisped  to  a  cinder, 

"Those  who  clung  to  life  made  frantic  leaps  over  the  frightful 
precipice  to  the  other  side,  only  to  be  dashed  to  pieces  in  the  vallej 
below.  The  whole  district  was  overwhelmed  with  lava  and  hot  water 
pouring  out  from  the  lesser  peaks  around  the  center  of  activity.  Despite 
the  gales  of  wind  and  a  heavy  downpour,  sulphur  and  other  noxious 
gases  permeated  the  upper  air  so  that  long  before  the  lava  crept  up  and 
engulfed  them,  death  by  sufiocation  overtook  the  wretched  remnant. 

"In  their  extremity  the  people  obeyed  Keroecia  implicitly,  and  man> 
touching  exhibitions  of  heroism  marked  their  last  moments.  They 
huddled  together  at  the  root  of  a  seqnoio  gigantea  nearly  wrenched  out 
of  the  ground.  Nor  did  they  refuse  shelter  to  a  grizzly  bear,  a  mountain 
lion,  some  wolves,  some  wild  sheep,  a  colony  of  snakes,  nor  the  birds 

[   ()2   ] 


hoverini>  in  tin-  :iir,  .scrcecliinM  in  ;il).jc<t  Iciror  (,r  stiipcliiMl  |jf\<)n<l 
resistance. 

"The  twisting,  ciiuklinf^  swisli  of  Hit-  trees,  flu-  tluindeiinK  clatter 
of  the  rocks  shaken  loose  and  hounding,'  downwaid  with  prodigious 
velocity,  passed  unnoticed  hy  the  niart.\  rs  looking;  at  death,  cjdincd  :ind 
awed  by  the  terribly  destructive  I'urx    ol'  anini.itcd  Nature. 

"Keroecia  gathered  her  two  taithlul  handmaidens  in  her  arms  jiro- 
teetingly  and  waited  for  the  enrl.  L'j)  to  the  very  last  she  souf^ht  to 
comfort  and  console  her  companions,  so  worn  with  latiHue  arid  excite- 
ment that  they  made  no  furtJier  etfort. 

"Some  had  already  crossed  the  dark  waters:  others  were  ^aspin^ 
their  last,  when  Death  touched  hei' — and  she  slept." 

(When  "Yennah,  the  Dorado"  first  appeared,  Mr.  lOdimiiul  Gossc,  in 
the  London  "Atheneuni,"  pronounced  tliis  description  ot  a  catastrophe 
as  equalint?  Ikilwer  I^ytton's  "I^ast  Days  of  I'oinpeii,"  wiiicti  he  cited 
as  one  of  the  .threat  classics  in  the  Knglish  lan.tjuatje.  Kdnumd  (losse 
ranks  as  tlie  i^reatest  livinj;  literary  critic  in  Kii.:;i;m<l.) 


A  \vi:i.i--ioioii,n  Hui'.Ai)  ( lusi  homi; 


[  63  ] 


A  MADE-TO-ORDER  TOWN 

IKK  a  trip  on  the  magic  carpet  is  the  traiisroriiiatioii  wrouiilit 
at  Westwood,  a  model  town  in  IMumas  (lounty,  set  in  the  heart 
of  a  virgin  pine  forest  skirting  tiie  soutliern  hase  of  Lassen 
Peak.  Ail  about  one  is  tlie  clean,  sweet  smell  of  newly-cut 
pines,  and  the  whole  atmosphere  is  one  of  humming  activity 
among  an  intelligent  and  contented  populace.  The  five  tliou- 
sand  inhabitants  live  in  modern  houses  in  a  natural  forest  park.  An 
eye  for  the  beautiful  has  left  the  big  white  pines  standing  wherever 
possible,  even  along  the  graded  streets,  and  the  approach  roadways 
leading  into  and  out  of  the  town. 

It  was  the  author's  good  fortune  to  arrive  at  Westwood  at  noon, 
hot,  thirsty  and  covered  with  volcanic  dust.  Imagine  the  surprise  and 
joy  of  lintling  an  up-to-the-minute  department  store — large,  airy  and 
cool — where  a  delicious  crushed  pineapple  ice  cream  soda  all  but  saved 
one's  life.  And  the  price,  fifteen  cents!  This  drink  was  served  witli 
all  the  daintiness  of  a  metropolitan  soda  fountain,  by  a  chap  in  a  white 
coat  and  apron  spotlessly  clean,  and  with  manners  to  correspond. 

Westwood  has  just  "growed  up"  in  the  heart  of  the  woods,  sixty 
miles  from  Nowhere,  and  is  the  last  word  in  a  logging  camp.  Wliat 
gave  it  impetus?  The  constructive  imagination  of  its  founders. 

It  is  the  pride  and  glory  of  the  Walker  family  to  have  as  nearl>  a 
perfect  plant  as  it  is  possible  to  create  and  this  desire  includes  every- 
thing connected  with  the  industry  of  lumbering.  The  whole  atmosphere 
of  Westwood  is  one  of  work.  No  loafers  are  permitted  to  stay  long 
enough  to  breed  dissensions.  Every  person  bears  his  or  her  share  of 
the  work  to  be  done,  consequently  there  are  no  paupers  and  no  destitu- 
tion.  Nor  is  there  a  shack  in  the  town. 

The  Westwood  baseball  teams  are  not  only  natty  in  appearance  but 
they  can  and  do  play  ball.  Like  the  neatly-uniformed  band  they  are  an 
inspiration  to  all  the  surounding  countryside.  Westwood  musicians  are 
in  demand  wherever  good  music  has  an  appreciative  hearing.  The  men 
at  the  head  of  the  Red  River  Lumber  Company  not  only  know  how  to 
live  themselves,  but  are  willing  that  others  may  share  in  benefits  derived 
from  an  intelligent,  constructive  attitude  toward  a  big  problem — that  of 
pioneering  in  an  out-of-the-way  neck  of  the  woods.  The  situation  at 
Westwood  woukl  have  delighted  the  soul  of  Peter  Lassen,  who  was 
something  of  a  sawmill  man  himself,  and  had  a  true  woodsman's  love 
of  trees. 

The  Red  River  Lumber  Company  gives  the  following  as  their  altitude 
toward  tlie  industry: 

"It  is  our  hope,  by  forestry  practice,  to  so  conserve  the  trees  that  in 
spite  of  our  cutting  (the  largest  of  its  kind)  the  actual  amount  of  timber 
will  never  grow  less  but  will  remain  forever  a  permanent  thing  of 
beauty,  a  field  of  labor  and  a  source  of  supply," 


[    G4   ] 


HON.  JOHN  E.  RAKER,  CONGRESSMAN  SECOND 
DISTRICT.  CALIFORNIA 

Passage  of  the  Raker  Bill,  H.R.  348,  Created  the  Lassen 
Volcanic  National  Park  in  1916 

E\>i(\  ;i  H'xxl  (^alilornian  is  a  stall*  of  mind  rallu-r  than  an 
accident  of  birth.  Sucii  a  Califcjinian  is  tlu-  Hon.  Joiin  Hdward 
Raker,  who  is  the  'Mivest  wire"  this  eonimonwealtli  has  in 
Washington,  He  has  been  in  the  House  of  lU-presenfatives 
since  1911  and  has  been  doing  sonietliing  lor  Nortlurn  Cali- 
fornia all  of  the  time.  His  birthi)lace  is  Knoxville.  Illinois. 
but  he  came  to  San  Jo.se,  California,  in  early  childhood.  While  in  San 
Jose,  he  graduated  from  the  .Slate  Normal  School,  then  went  with  his 
parents  to  live  in  Susanville,  Lassen  County.  Here  lie  studied  law.  got 
married  and  was  elected  district  attorm-v .  Later  he  hecanie  Judge  of  tlie 
Superior  Court. 

In  1886  Judge  Raker  became  a  resident  of  .\lturas,  Modocs  Cnunl> 
seat,  where  he  still  makes  iiis  home.  I-^aih  in  his  rarei-r  ( Congressman 
Raker  became  prominent  in  Democratic  affaiis.  He  has  served  as 
grand  sachem  of  the  Iroquois  Clubs  of  California,  i\n(\  is  higli  in  Hie 
councils  of  his  party,  but  his  strongest  support  conus  from  i)eMi)le  who 
value  his  devotion  to  the  public's  best  interests  rather  than  part.\ 
politics.  He  represents  sixteen  ( ounties,  namely,  Siskiyou,  .Modoc, 
Trinity,  Shasta,  Lassen,  Tehama.  I'lumas.  Sierra,  Placer,  Nevada,  I'i 
Dorado,  Amador,  Calaveras,  Alpine,  Tuoiumne  ami  Marii)osa. 

Congressman  Raker  is  a  prominent  Mason,  and  is  identified  with  a 
number  of  Northern  California  enterprises.  He  has  been  successful  in 
all  fields  of  activity  and  is  never  more  zealous  llian  when  promoting 
some  big  undertaking  of  a  public  character.  He  worked  long  and  well 
in  securing  the  consent  of  Congress  to  set  aside  the  wondeis  of  Lassen 
volcanic  area  as  a  National  Park.  Having  spent  most  of  liis  life  amoni; 
the  wonders  of  the  region,  his  experience  will  he  of  inestimable  value 
in   future  develoi)menl  of  the   paik. 


Asjii  s  IN  itii>ii,i,.M  \i'.  1  assi:n  iMAK  soriii. 


[  (if)  ] 


PRELIMINARY   REPORT  OF  GEORGE   E.  GOODWIN 
Chief  Civil  Engineer,  National  Park  Service 


ASSEN  VOLCANIC  NATIONAL  PARK,  established  by  Act  of 
Congress,  August  9,  1916,  embraces  one  hundred  and  twen- 
ty-four square  miles  of  area  and  contains  within  these 
boundaries  many  scenic  attractions  and  phenomena;  among 
which  are  Mt.  Lassen,  the  last  active  volcano  in  the  United 
States,  the  area  of  devastation  resulting  from  Lassen's  last 
volcanic  eruption,  interesting  and  spectacular  cinder  cones  and  lava 
flows,  active  hot  springs  and  geysers  and  boiling  lakes,  rugged  moun- 
tains, castellated  crags  and  escarpments,  picturesque  valleys,  beautiful 
lakes  abounding  in  fish,  and  primeval  forests  interspersed  by  pretty 
meadows  and  glades  and  traversed  by  pleasant  streams. 

The  administration  of  this  park  is  vested  in  the  National  Park 
Service,  a  bureau  of  the  Department  of  the  Interior,  which  is  especially 
charged  by  law  with  the  administration,  protection  and  development  of 
all  national  parks  and  most  of  our  national  monuments.  Owing  to  the 
lack  of  appropriated  funds  but  little,  if  any,  development  has  heretofore 
been  possible,  although  a  small  amount  has  been  expended  during  the 
past  two  or  three  years  in  connection  with  the  United  States  Forest 
Service  in  constructing  a  passable  road  into  the  southwest  corner  of 
the  park.  This  road  leaves  the  county  road  about  a  mile  and  a  half  east 
of  Mineral,  its  point  of  divergence  from  the  Susanville-Red  BlutT  lateral 
of  the  California  State  Highway  System, 

During  the  past  year  the  Lassen  Volcanic  National  Park  Association 
of  California,  and  other  friends  of  the  park,  have  done  much  to  acquaint 
the  people  of  California,  and  of  this  country,  with  the  attractions  of 
this  area,  and  as  a  consequence  there  is  a  well-founded  and  growing 


AFTER   A   HAIL  STORM   OF  HOT   ROCKS  AND  f.INDKRS. 


[     ()()     ] 


LAssKX  pi:ak,  looking  s(nriii:AST  fhdm  manzamia  (.I'.i:i.k. 


movement  for  the  early  development  of  the  park.  Willi  the  Congres- 
sional inhibition  removed,  which  heretofore  limited  appropriations  for 
the  park  to  five  thousand  dollars,  it  is  felt  that  the  comirif,'  Congress 
will  make  subsfanfial  appro|)riations  for  the  early  de\  el<ii)ment  of 
Lassen  Volcanic  National  Park. 

The  general,  or  basic,  plan  of  develoinnent  foi-  Lassen  Volcanic 
National  Park  has  not  been  fully  determined  but  is  at  present  under 
consideration  by  the  National  Park  Service.  It  is  jjrobable  that  this 
plan  of  development  will  include  a  comi)lete  load  system  cimnecfing 
the  areas  of  princi{)al  attraction  in  the  i)ark.  This  road  system  will  be 
supplemented  by  fo()ti)aths  and  saddle  horse  trails  to  the  points  of 
detailed  interest.  The  park  system  of  roads  will  be  served  by  the  vari- 
ous approach  roads  to  the  park  which  connect  witli  the  California 
Highway  System,  so  that  it  will  be  possible  to  iiitir  the  jiark  h\  mie 
approach  road  and  leave  by  any  other.  Mt.  Lassen  is.  of  course,  the  para- 
mount attraction  in  the  i)ark  and  this  section  will  jirobably  be  among 
the  first  to  be  developed  by  roads  and  trails,  but  as  rapidly  as  develop- 
ment funds  are  available  the  lake  section  and  the  cinder  cone  and  lava 
flow  areas  will  also  be  developed  by  roads  and  trails,  as  will  the  aieas 
containing  geysers,  hot  springs  and  other  phenomena. 

As  travel  to  the  park  increases  and  makes  it  necessary.  (•ami)s.  hotels 
and  other  utilities  will  be  established  and  operated  under  liie  direction 
of  the  National  Park  Service,  so  tliat  the  visitors  to  flic  park  will  be 
assured  the  same  high  standard  hotel,  cainji  and  othei'  service  as  is  at 
present  obtained  in  our  other  national  i)aiks. 

Estimates  have  already  been  submilfeu  covering  tlie  most  uryent 
road,  trail  and  building  dcvcloinneni  and  to  provide  for  the  expense  of 
administering  antl  jirotccting  the  park,  and  it  is  confidently  hoped  that 
next  year  will  show  real  acconii)lislinu'nfs  on  all  of  the  most  needed 
improvements. 

[  G7   ] 


TO  MT.  LASSEN 

Majestic  Lassen!  Snow-erowiiecl  kiiii*! 

A  fiery  force  from  Pluto's  realm, 
Thy  right  as  ruler  may  assail. 

Dark,  fitful,  fearsome  vapors  rise, 
The  firmament  seems  rent  in  twain! 

C.reat  clouds  of  ashes,  cinders,  smoke 
Present  an  a\Yesome  spectacle. 

Thy  mighty  form  again  at  rest, 

A  study  now  in  gray  and  white! 
And  thou,  Oh,  Lassen,  still  ait  king. 

— Martha  .Iank  CIarvix. 


**.♦. 


'W^ 


V  /»* 


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CALIFORMA  AU'JNE  CLUB  MO.N  L.MICNT,   I.ASSKN   PEAK  SUMMIT,  NORTH. 

[    68    ] 


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UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  AT  LOS  ANGELES 

THE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 
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UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

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NOV  18  1580 
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